Shattered Hopes: Chains of Fate
by SkullFox
Summary: The continuation of Chains of Fate. With everything in turmoil, Lylat's hope is forced down onto Krystal's shoulders as a new attack begins to form around the Trinity Accord. May update sporadically. Rated T for blood, gore, violence, and possible nudity.
1. Chapter 1

**~CHAINS OF FATE 2~**

**-Shattered Hopes-**

……**Chapter 1……**

_-The Greatest Evil Casts No Shadows-_

Over a month had passed, and still Fox McCloud suffered from the last wound he'd received from Arlex. Still lying in a coma, the hero had yet to show any signs of waking up. The once grand Corneria City lay mostly in wastes from the fighting with its own ally, Katina. Large ships had been spotted at the boarder of the Lylat system coming from the Krazoa, Stygian, and Dan'jas systems, sitting idle as if waiting for the cue to attack…the entire Armada was laid down with Omni Corp. ships. The company had been much bigger than anyone had imagined, and worst of all, they were making their intentions slightly clear. However, as Lylat's trade routes were cut off to all surrounding star systems, the idea of more war had brought about a great panic…yet every animal of the Cornerian and Katinan military were kept ready for a fight at a moment's notice. Not only that, but there was also a new general of the Cornerian military; a black furred feline named Vanity R. Fayte. She was a well-known, strong leader and all of the men under her command respected her as a stern authority figure. Many had already accepted her as the new General. Krystal was ready to see how well she handled the situations at hand, and she simply hoped that the feline knew what it was she was doing…

* * *

**April 28th **

_**......Four Days Remaining……**_

After the first month passed, Krystal was happy to hear that nothing had happened out of the usual. The Omni ships at the boarder stayed put and so far she had heard no bad news regarding Creed's condition…though she dreaded the day she would. The days simply seemed to rush by, and still the vixen simply stayed with Fox, making certain that she would be there when and if he were ever to wake up. It was after a number of more days on a late spring morning that there was a knock at the door of Fox's hospital room. Krystal could already tell who it was; she could hear every thought in the hall…

"Who is it?" she asked.

"We both know the answer," a vaguely familiar voice answered. "May I come in?"

Krystal brushed her paw over Fox's forehead. "You're the new General…do whatever you like."

"I would rather not if I were intruding." the feline replied still from the other side of the door.

"Fine, come in then."

The door slowly slid open revealing a black furred feline of a bit more than normal height. Her body was quite proportionate for a military woman, and at the moment she was wearing a pair of black jeans that had a small chain dangling down her left thigh and a black tank top that came just short of her naval. She wore a small gray collar around her neck and a pair of rather dark metal-framed sunglasses…

"That doesn't seem like the way for a general to dress if you ask me…" Krystal said not bothering to turn around.

"Well…" Vanity said removing the shades from her light hazel eyes. "…I am off duty for now. At this time I can dress however I'd like," she said running her fingers through her long black hair. "You can appreciate that, can't you…Kursed?"

Krystal sighed at the mention of her old moniker as she stroked Fox's head. "Kursed is dead…I don't need her anymore…nobody needs her anymore."

Vanity sighed as she walked by dropping a folder in front of the depressed blue furred vixen. "That's too bad," she said finding herself a seat in a chair at Fox's other side. "Because…I could really use her help."

Krystal was confused, what would the military want with Kursed? "What are you talking about?"

"It's all in the file…" the dark furred feline replied. "Don't bother reading it yet, please. I do not want this to become a business meeting…I hate meetings." She sighed as she ran her paw down the length of Fox's arm. "I owe this man's family more than you could ever imagine you know. I think every animal in the Accord does actually…even if they don't know it. He and his father did the very same thing all their lives and without ever asking for a single thing in return." Vanity smiled a bit. "It makes me sad…when I think back to hearing the news of Star Fox breaking up. I'll admit, that like everyone else, I blamed you…and eventually still like everyone else I blamed him."

Krystal thought to herself as she looked over Fox. He was covered in hoses that made certain he didn't stop breathing when there was nobody to watch him and he was heavily bandaged here and there…

"We all make mistakes…" The vixen sighed. "As long as they're there to learn by, there's no point in regretting them. I know I've made mine. Are they keeping the sword safe?"

Vanity nodded. "Yes. It's under 24-hour surveillance and the heaviest-set security possible. The only ones that can access it at any one time are myself, you, or Fox here."

"Thank you," Krystal replied. "It's good to see that our new General hasn't got her head up her ass." She chuckled.

Krystal found that she liked this feline's laugh. It was honest and held nothing back. "Well thank you Krystal…" Vanity smiled. "I certainly hope that we can be friends through all this."

Krystal smiled at the thought. "I'd like that…I could always use more friends, so could he," she said looking to Fox. "I hear you're expanding the Trinity Accord…you really think that's a good idea at this point in time? When we can't even reach out to our neighbors?"

Vanity smiled as she slid her sunglasses' arm between her breasts allowing the eyewear to hang from her shirt. "Krystal…what do you know about a planet that we used to call Earth?"

Krystal still only paid attention to Fox. "Enough to know that I already don't like humans…" she said. "They destroy everything…and according to Fox they tried to enslave certain members of the Trinity Accord."

"You know enough then…" the black feline said. "They are dangerous, but they have more tech then we do…and right now they want our help. Omni isn't building its own technology Krystal, it's stealing it from every corner of the galaxy. This corporation is so large it's even got its claws into the new human societies that they've been forming."

Krystal opened the file to find a small photo of one of the vehicles; it looked like a suit of armor, or maybe a robot of some kind, most of its features squared and geometrical in shape…

"Are these the human ships?"

Vanity sighed. "Yes. They are docked at the Beltino Orbital Gate Station. The humans have agreed to meet with the leader of Star Fox, and right now I believe that means you. Seems they want Omni to go down as much as we do…and according to their leader, your little family has dealt a much more substantial blow to Omni than the humans ever could. I just want someone there that can relay to me what they're thinking to make certain that they are who they say they are, and that they are just here to help." The feline sighed as she stood up placing her glasses back over her eyes. "I'll leave you to think about it. Could I get you something from the cafeteria?"

Krystal thought for a moment. "Yes. Coffee would be nice." After Vanity had left the room Krystal looked to Fox. "What would you do in this situation, Fox?"

**~//~**

_There was not darkness, but only a mind numbingly bright light that seemed to burn the vulpine's eyes. It hurt to look anywhere, but there was something about the alien environment that felt…familiar. It was warm here, though not from any natural source of heat. He covered his eyes with his forearm, but the light seemed to penetrate through everything…_

"_Hello…" His voice echoed in the distance. "Is anyone there!?! Where am I!?! What is this place!?! ANYBODY!!!!!!"_

_Though his feet seemed to meet no ground of any sort, his footsteps echoed through the empty space like drumbeats. He didn't like this place; there was nothing here. It was all white, no color, just nothing. He tried to walk around to gather his bearings, but there was no way of telling where he was or if he'd even been to the spot before. That, however, didn't stop him from trying. The lonely vulpine wondered about for what seemed like an eternity, yet he did not tire. He hadn't eaten, and yet he wasn't the slightest bit famished. He knew the horrible truth but refused to allow himself to think that he might be dead. He couldn't help but to think what could be happening to his friends at any point. However, as he stumbled around in the blinding light he could hear something. It was almost like a whisper; like that voice you often hear calling your name, but know there is nobody there. As he turned about to look for the emanating echo he heard it again…_

"_Hello…Fox McCloud……"_

**~//~**

It wasn't long before the new General was back with a fresh, hot cup of coffee for the blue furred vixen before taking her seat back across the bed again. Vanity didn't bother to say a word; Krystal knew what she was waiting for. She wanted an answer, and it didn't look like she was leaving until she got it. Krystal spent all the time she could inside the feline's head only to find that her only thoughts were of the people of Corneria…

"You're not leaving here without that answer, are you?" Krystal asked.

Vanity chuckled. "Well…mother always did tell me I was too stubborn for my own good." She smiled. "Then again, mother also told me the best I'd ever become would be some side street whore…" She chuckled again. "She wasn't exactly a great mother…"

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Vanity took a drink of her coffee. "Well…in mother's defense she was a heavy drinker…and she didn't exactly take father's death very well at all."

Krystal thought for a moment. "Why ask me to do this?"

Vanity sighed. "Krystal, I know that after everything Corneria has done to you, the things we've called you, and blamed you for, the last thing we deserve is your help, but the other generals trusted you and Fox more than they even trusted the high council. I don't know if these humans are here for what they say they are, but they seem to know a lot about Star Fox. I need you because you can tell me whether or not they're telling us the truth. I need someone I can trust…" she said. "I'm still new at all this Krystal. I've been trained for it, but trust me when I say that doesn't make it any easier on me."

Krystal sighed deeply setting her coffee on the nightstand next to Fox's bed. "I'll do it…" she said. "It's what Fox would do right now," she added standing up. "I wanna think I can trust you Vanity," she said extending her paw to the feline.

Vanity respectfully shook it. "I assure you that you can trust me," she said. "And please, if we aren't in my office…call me Rose."

"As long as you never call me Kursed again." Krystal smiled.

After their initial understanding had been reached Vanity sat down to go over the details…

"Now, there are four of these guys," Vanity said. "They seem pretty calm, but that could just be a front. One of them seems to be incredibly intelligent, over the rest, and another…well, frankly he scares the shit outta me." She pointed out, "Of course because of the diplomatic crap involved with all this I'll be coming along with whatever team you put together. None of your other team members will be getting involved with any of the discussions. Just you as my personal guard, myself, and the leader of that group of humans."

"You're not letting this out to the public?" Krystal asked.

Vanity shook her head. "No…we can't afford any kind of panic that might cause. Everyone in Lylat knows humans only from the stories that we've passed on. If they heard that a race of warmongers like humans was here…well I don't want to imagine what the outcome would be like."

Krystal didn't really want to think about it either. "Alright, when do we leave?"

"Tomorrow…" Vanity replied. "When you've got your team together, I'll meet you all at the Nemesis."

"Alright, I already know who I'll bring," Krystal replied. "I'll see you in the morning Rose."

**~//~**

"_HELLO!!!"_

"_WHO WAS THAT!?!"_

"_IS SOMEONE THERE!?!"_

"_WHAT IS THIS PLACE!?!"_

_The lone vulpine yelled into the light, hoping that somehow he would be answered. He wanted anyone to answer; Silver, Roxy, Creed…Krystal. Just someone to tell him that everything was alright and that this was all just a bad dream, but there was nothing but the light. It was as he wandered about this alien environment that he found himself in that his ears twitched against an echoing sound again…_

"_Welcome…Fox McCloud."_

_He instantly jumped. "HELLO!?! PLEASE!!! TELL ME WHERE I AM!"_

"_You…are at the beginning." The voice echoed around him causing him to look in all directions for the voice's owner. "A place not seen for eons…since before time itself."_

"_WHY AM I HERE!?! YOU'RE NOT MAKING ANY SENSE!!!"_

_For a brief moment Fox swore he saw something move out of the corner of his eye and quickly jolted about…_

"_You are here, because…you above all others have chosen to fight back," the voice replied. "Though the darkness threatens to envelope you, body and soul…you still choose to fight. Your soul however, as well as those of everyone you hold dear are all in grave danger, Fox McCloud…and you are at the central hub of it all."_

"_WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?!" he shouted._

"_I am called Adreus…" the voice replied._

"_Why does it always have to be me? Why can't you people just leave me the fuck alone? I didn't ask for this! I just wanna go home. I just wanna be with Krystal. I JUST WANT A NORMAL LIFE GODDAMNIT!!!" he screamed falling to his knees. "Why is that so hard to ask?"_

_It was as he sat there on his knees that Fox felt a warm paw touch his shoulder. "I am sorry…Fox McCloud. It is not wrong to want such things, but for some of us they are impossibility," the animal said._

"_Am…am I……dead?" he asked._

_The mysterious animal was gone before he could turn around. "This is not the land of the dead Fox McCloud. This is simply where the universe needs you to be for the time being. There are things about the universe as well as things about yourself that you are not yet aware of."

* * *

_

_**......The next morning……**_

_**......Three days remaining……**_

Krystal awoke, like all other mornings, in hope that Fox would be awake and waiting for her when she opened her eyes, but the only sound she received from the animal was the sound of the heart monitor that kept track of how well he was faring. She sighed before kissing the top of his head…

"I'll be back in a few days…" She whispered in his ear, "I love you."

Krystal had decided to take Creed with her as well as Silver and Vixy while Sia had agreed to stay behind with Fox to keep an eye on the vulpine's progress as the others headed for the Orbital Gate Station. The blue vixen was a bit happy and a bit sad to see the Nemesis again, especially now that she knew she'd be leaving Fox on Corneria. It was hard for her to accept the truth, but she knew he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. She was a bit surprised as their group reached the large hanger where they'd get a lift to the Nemesis, which was by far too big to actually land safely in city limits, as she found the new General speaking with a familiar gray furred wolf whose missing left eye seemed to set him apart from most other lupines Krystal had ever met. She didn't bother asking any questions about Wolf's appearance there, though he was dressed uniquely from his standard attire. He was wearing what appeared to be some sort of business suit, a very dark blue three piece with a white undershirt and a black tie as well as black dress shoes. He moved about a bit uncomfortably as Krystal looked him over…

"Nice suit…Wolfgang." She snickered as they all headed into the hanger.

"I told you when you were part of Star Wolf…" he growled lowly making certain that nobody else could hear him. "Don't ever use my full name. Especially not loud enough for anyone to hear you."

"So what's with the getup?" The vixen chuckled.

Wolf sighed. "Part of Vanity's stipulation to being pardoned. I have to be her assistant on Criminal Affairs…Guess she figured it was a good idea since I used to be one."

Krystal looked to Wolf as they entered the hanger. His eyes danced longingly over the newly polished hull of a wolfen. "You miss flying, don't you?"

Wolf sighed. "Yeah…" he replied looking back toward the large transport that would carry them out to the Nemesis. "Vanity, seems to think that Omni's gonna launch some sort of all-out offensive against Lylat. She's pretty worried about it. I think she's praying that Fox'll wake up so he can revive Star Fox and fight for Corneria again……Fat chance in that though. I don't think she really understands how much being rejected by the people really hurt him."

Krystal sighed. She still felt responsible for everything that had happened to Fox. "If I hadn't left…"

"It's not your fault Krys," Wolf replied. "Fox would have found one way or another to make you leave the team. Nothing was more important to him…than keeping you alive."

"Yeah…I know," she replied. "Thanks for taking me in back then. I really don't think I'd have been able to handle it on my own really. Look how well I did after I left Star Wolf."

Wolf chuckled. "Yeah, look at it…" He reassured her, "You became one of the most well known bounty hunters Lylat's ever known, you collected two of the highest bounties the Trinity Accord has ever set out, and you met Creed. You don't really give yourself enough credit kid. I know what happened to you was fucked up and all, but if you think about it…if Fox never pushed you away you wouldn't be as close with any of these people as you are now."

Krystal chuckled. "Thanks, Wolf. You never really were the asshole you tried to put yourself off as."

Wolf refused to respond to that last comment as he simply waited for everyone to board the transport before doing so himself. It had been a long time since Krystal had been on a ship of any kind. Ever since they had gotten back to Corneria, most of the time she didn't even leave Fox's hospital room in fear that at some point he may wake up and she wouldn't be there. Nobody really said a word during their flight except for Creed and Jane, who had become next to inseparable, and Silver and Roxy who always seemed to be talking with one another about this or that. No matter what they were doing, Krystal still found them to be an extremely cute couple.

The blue furred vixen found her mind jumping from one subject to the next, unable to focus on any one thing in particular. She wondered how Katt and Falco were doing now that their kids were born and they had left the star system with Slippy's family. She wondered how much time Creed had left, and in turn how much time her old friend Ayme had left as well. But most of all she wondered when she'd hear Fox's voice again, if at all. It was as she rested her chin on her paw watching the city shrink out of sight through the small port window at her side that Wolf handed her a small drink. She didn't care what it was, but knowing Wolf it was probably vodka. Regardless of what it was she downed the small glass, quickly shivering at the taste of the powerful liquor. It was vodka alright…

The vixen sniffed the shot glass a bit. "Damn…that stuff from Nattix?"

Wolf chuckled. "Yep. You looked like you could use a drink," he said stuffing a small metal flask into his vest pocket. "Thinking about Fox again?"

The vixen sighed again. "Am I that transparent?"

"You just seem like a worried lover is all."

Krystal thought for a moment. "He really has me worried this time, Wolf. I can't help but think he might not wake up this time. I really don't wanna be alone again."

Wolf sighed hard. "Krystal…hey…" he called getting her attention. "Listen to me. Fox has pulled through a lot worse, and as for worse case scenarios. Look around you. You've got too many friends to be alone anymore."

Krystal thought about how little sense her position made. Wolf O'Donnell was actually making sense to her. She sighed a bit before turning her head back toward the lupine sitting across from her…

"I think the General is going to ask us to fight for her…" she said.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Wolf said. "Look at all the damage your little family's already done to Omni. Can you say that you really blame her?"

Krystal smiled at the thought of all they'd done to Omni while shaking her head. "No, not really," she replied. "I just…don't think we'll be enough."

"Well, if you do end up fighting let me know. Kala and I would be happy to help however we can. I don't think I need to tell you that I've got a lot of misdeeds to make up for."

"Thanks again Wolf," Krystal said turning her attention to the space outside the ship.

The flight seemed unnaturally long for Krystal. She sighed as she watched the large red ship in the distance grow in size until it dwarfed the smaller ship they rode in. She was amazed at the size of the massive vehicle every time she looked at it; something so much bigger than the Great Fox shouldn't exist. As she looked on she realized that no matter how many ships she'd seen, even those in the Trinity Armada, none came anywhere near the size and scale of the Nemesis. Given this ship's size and nature, she was certain that it would be able to take out an entire fleet. She wondered just how big Omni really was, but at the current time she found it impossible to determine. They were most definitely much bigger than any of them had at first thought, if such a substantial blow to their ranks had only provoked such a response as cutting Lylat off from the rest of the Trinity Accord.

Krystal couldn't say she was happy to be aboard the Nemesis again, at least not when the first sight she saw entering the docking bay was Fox's personal arwing, instantly drawing her mind back to the injured vulpine. MIA had been set to acknowledge Krystal as the ship's captain with Fox gone, which was understandable. The team made their ways down the halls of the ship stopping for a brief moment at the living quarters…

"Wolf…do me a favor and set up the General with quarters for the night," Krystal said stopping the group.

"Yes ma'am," the lupine replied. "This way Vanity..." he said directing the black feline down the halls.

Krystal turned toward the group. "Creed, Jane, do a quick scan of the ship and make sure everything's in working order. Never know if some of those mechanics were working for Omni or not. Check everything."

"You got it…" Creed said turning to the cheetah at his side, "I think we should start with the lower decks and work our way up."

"Yeah…" Jane replied as they walked down the halls. "Start with the plasma reactors and work from there. MIA, can you give me a read out on the ship's status?"

As the two walked off, Krystal turned her attention to Roxy and Silver.

"What about us?"

"Start maintenance on the arwings…" Krystal replied walking down the halls. "Never know when we're gonna need 'em with Omni around."

The ship was just not the same without Fox around. The halls were far too quiet and there was just none of the normal feeling about the place. It had come to the point where Krystal simply did not feel at home in any environment if he wasn't there. Even that hospital room back on Corneria felt more like home than this place now. The lonely vixen made her way toward the bridge where she hesitantly sat in Fox's command chair. It wasn't the same without him sitting there with her. The young Cerinian sighed as she looked toward the viewing windows in front of her…

"Jane, how's everything look?" she asked through the ship's PA system.

There was a moment of pause before the system acted back. "Everything in the engine room is good. Life support seems fine too. We'll be good for such a short trip."

"Alright then…Krystal out," Krystal said turning off the PA system. "MIA, set course. Beltino Orbital Gate Station."

"Destination locked. Current time 3:21 pm galactic standard time. Estimated time of arrival, 11:06 pm," the ship's computer responded.

"Good, just get us there," Krystal said.

**~//~**

_Fox still tried endlessly to figure out where he was and who that mysterious figure was. He couldn't feel anything and wasn't getting hungry or tired. Was this what it was really like to be dead? To simply wander without knowing where or what anything was? With nothing but your own thoughts to keep you company? The more he thought about it the more the idea drove him mad. Was this the truth to the afterlife? No heaven, no hell, just nothingness? It was more than he could wrap his mind around. The more he wandered around the more his eyes seemed to adjust to the intensely bland, white light all around him. But as he wandered, something became clearly visible in the distance…_

_It wasn't bright by any means, but against the pale white backdrop the tiny tinge of blue light was a welcome, noticeable sight that caused him to dash off in its direction. However, it seemed that no matter how much he ran or how desperately he exerted himself, it was simply a place beyond his reach. He wasn't tired. Apparently in whatever form of reality he was in there was no such thing as exhaustion or hunger. Regardless of how long it would take him, however, there was only one thing that crossed his mind when he saw the light tinge of azure color on the horizon, the only thing on his mind at that point…it had to be Krystal. He hoped and prayed that he was right. It was so lonely where he was and to have her there with him would definitely make even such a drab existence nothing short of paradise. He ran for what seemed like forever before he found himself standing right in front of the figure that exuded the blue aura so intense that he was forced to cover his eyes to shield them from the blinding light. It was, however, as he peeked between his fingers that he saw her smiling face and quickly dropped his paws reaching out for her, only to have the light seep between his fingers, dispersing into nothing but a hazy, faded image that fell into the backdrop of white as if it were never there…_

_Looking to his paws, which he had almost hoped would have held her again, he threw back his head. "KRYYYYYYSTALLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"

* * *

_

_**......The next morning……**_

_**......Two day remaining……**_

The blue vixen shot up in her bed feeling instinctively for the space beside her, only to find a hollow, cold space where Fox should have been. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she could have sworn she had heard his voice calling out to her. It was so real. It couldn't have been a dream because she could still hear her name floating on his voice, ringing in her ears. She felt her heart's rapid beating as she looked to the digital clock next to her and Fox's bed. It was midnight. They'd been at the gate station for over an hour. It was only now that she realized that the incessant beep of the alarm had never managed to wake her up. She wondered why nobody had come to wake her, but for the most part she didn't care. At the moment a cold sweat covered her body and she was freezing, as Fox's room had always been extra cold. She peeled off the white bra that the sweat had plastered to her chest, tossing it to the floor on her way into the bathroom where there was a hot bath with her name on it…

One good bath later, the blue vixen felt much more relaxed, though she was still attempting to figure out why that dream had felt so real. She was so distracted that when she pulled up the jeans she was going to wear a sharp pain in her lower back told her that they were on backwards, folding up her tail into an uncomfortable angle. Removing the jeans, she pinched the space between her eyes for a moment before finally climbing into them. She was happy, however, that she'd just gotten one of her favorite black bras around her chest and clipped on when her bedroom door hissed open…

"SHIT…" Creed shouted turning away. "Sorry."

"Forget it Creed. I'm wearing a bra…whatta you want?"

Creed sighed. "To be honest…I was just checking on you. Jane told me she heard you crying in here a few hours ago."

Krystal didn't want to look at Creed to admit that she had cried herself to sleep, just like she had every other night since Fox had been injured…

"Listen Krys I….aghhhhh!"

Creed seemed to cut himself off as he clutched his chest falling to one knee, causing Krystal to rush to his side…

"Creed! Are you okay?"

Creed coughed a bit. "Yeah…" he replied with a bit of labored breathing. "Attacks are get'n worse…they hurt like a bitch."

It was as the blue furred vixen rested her paws on his shoulders that she fully realized how close she was to losing someone else that was so close to her. It seemed like everyone around her was dying, and there was nothing she could do about it…

"C'mon…" she said helping the large red fox to his feet. "…get up."

"Wow…" he said finally catching his balance again. "…these acts of god really stick it in and break it off huh?" He chuckled.

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" the vixen shouted punching him in the arm, for a moment forgetting that she hurt her own arm more than his metal one. She instantly began to cradle her now injured paw. It was at that moment that Creed noticed the tears in her eyes. "I don't want you to die. You're my best friend, Creed."

Creed hesitated for a moment before pulling the vixen into a warm hug, a few tears of his own rolling down his face. "Hey. Take it easy," he said. "I got no regrets…you shouldn't either. I'm glad I can say you're my friend," he said sniffling a bit. "Damnit, you were easier to deal with when you were that mean bitch Kursed."

Krystal wiped her eyes on his shirt. "I'm sorry. I know I normally don't get all emotional like this, but……"

Creed patted her back for a moment. "No. I understand Krys…" he said hugging her a bit tighter. "I'm gonna miss you too."

**~//~**

After a short while longer, Krystal and Creed decided that their little moment had never happened. Though Creed was happy to see that he'd be missed, he really didn't want to see his closest friend crying like that. It was as they entered the kitchen that the two were met by Vixy and Wolf who seemed to be talking about old times over a hot cup of coffee. Krystal took a moment before heading into the cooking area and returning with a cup of her own as well as a sandwich as she was a bit hungry…

"So…you two know each other?" she asked.

Wolf chuckled. "You could say that…" he replied. "She was married to my best friend."

Krystal paused for a moment. "Wait. You what?" she asked. "Fox told me you hated his father."

Wolf chuckled. "Yeah. He probably still thinks that I was actually trying to kill him for all those years too."

Krystal was a bit confused. "Krystal…" Vixy said. "Wolf and James were two of the best friends you'd ever seen. They joined the Viper unit together when they were still teenagers."

Wolf took a moment. "I never really had the heart to tell Fox. I was always worried about the kid after James died, so I started attacking him with Star Wolf…you know, keep him on his toes…make sure he doesn't get himself killed. Somewhere along the line I guess he just labeled me one of the bad guys and that's how I managed to keep tabs on him all these years."

"So all this time you've been keeping this from Fox?" she asked. "Don't you think he deserves to know that he's nearly killed his father's best friend on more than one occasion?"

"Nah," Wolf replied. "That pup's just fine. Besides, he's got enough to worry about all the time without add'n my problems to the mix."

"Well…at least you two have buried the hatchet," Krystal said taking a sip of her coffee. "So to speak."

"True enough," Wolf replied. "I guess I just got tired of everything is all. He seemed to be well off enough, plus he had you around…and…"

"Wait a minute…" She paused. "Is that why you invited me to Star Wolf?" she asked. "To keep track of me for Fox?"

Wolf laughed out loud a bit. "Didn't take long for you to put that together," he said. "Not surprising; you were always pretty damn smart."

"Why didn't you tell Fox any of this?" Krystal asked.

Wolf shook his head with a sigh. "Krystal, I told you. I was always there for him when he needed me, but what he needed was a rival, someone to keep his senses and skills on edge. That way he doesn't have to learn anything new about his father, and I'm always there to make sure he's good enough to keep from getting himself killed."

"So that's why you were always so nice to me…" Krystal said taking a bite of her sandwich. "Funny…I always thought you were just happy to get a hold of one of Fox's team mates to get an edge on him."

"Well, regardless…" Vixy said. "The past is the past. Might as well let it go. We have more important matters to attend to anyhow. The General hasn't woken up yet…and they've already sent word for her twice."

"Well then…" Krystal said standing up. "Wolf, you and I are the only others allowed to go with her so let's go wake her up."

Krystal and Wolf only made a stop at Vanity's room only to find that she was waiting for them, their only other stop being to get to the docking bay and take the transport over to the station itself to have a talk with these humans. The others of the group were, of course, spared the details of the reason for their trip to the space station, anything short of the fact that it was all political matters that were not allowed to be spoken of to the general public. The three were happy enough that their trip to the large station only took a short while. The place was oddly shaped for a space station, a large tube-like structure that served as the main hall of the entire place circled the central hub of the station that was no more than a large pillar-like structure of several varying sizes, all of which was connected by four smaller tubes, almost like wheel spokes. The central hub supported the area where their small ship would land, the docking bay being at the lower part of the place.

Krystal wasn't surprised to find that the place was not excessively busy, as the use of wormhole space was strictly forbidden without special permit, usually connected to a government issue from the Accord itself. The interior of the docking bay here was not much different than that of the Nemesis itself, simply much larger in scale. There were rows of small ships, as well as many fighters, and a horde of soldiers stationed there just in case Omni should attack. As the three animals disembarked from their transport, they were met by a slightly tall, golden furred canine accompanied by two soldiers, all of who saluted the black furred feline, who was dressed in a slimmed down version of the outfit that the two previous generals wore…

"General…" The canine saluted.

"Doctor Fisk," she replied saluting back. "How are our visitors?"

"They've agreed to staying in the detention center for now. But they seem to be eagerly awaiting your arrival ma'am," the scientist answered.

As the group began their walk along the halls, the scientist stopped everyone at what looked like a small-scale hover car, which everyone boarded.

"And are they who they claim they are?"

"Without a doubt ma'am," the canine answered. "They're definitely human, but other than that I couldn't tell you a thing about them. One of 'em is incredibly intelligent. I'd place his I.Q in league with professor Beltino's…"

"Do you know what they're here for?" the black cat asked.

"Not personally, but, they seem to have no trouble talking to the professor about it, seeing as he's the leader of this facility."

"What is the purpose of this facility in the first place?" she asked proving her new status as general.

"Well ma'am," the canine started. "We're the leading research facility in Lylat. We base most of our studies around astronomical anomalies, as well as terrestrial ones…like the strange natural field of energy that surrounds Sauria. We also lead in weapons R&D for the entire area; next to Omni itself we are the highest weapons study facility in the Accord."

The animal continued his explanation of everything while the small vehicle sped down the very wide halls of the station. They passed rooms that seemed to be of great importance, and as they made a single turn Krystal realized they were now in the large tube-like structure that surrounded the building itself. Their trip took a short while longer before the cart was brought to a stop…

"This is it, General…" the canine said not bothering to leave the small shuttle. "The door just there on your right, Professor Beltino should already be in there waiting for you."

"Thank you, Fisk."

"Good luck, ma'am."

The small shuttle sped off to wherever the animal was headed, while Vanity and the others headed into the large station's detention center. The small room felt a bit cramped. It was only consistent of one metal table, several metal chairs and a glass window that led to a much larger room. In one seat sat a dark-green skinned toad in a white lab coat. He'd have looked exactly like Slippy had it not been for his mustache, and across from him sat a tall fellow. He was oddly dressed in clothing that seemed a bit tight around his boxy frame. He was taller than any of the animals in Vanity's group, even thought Wolf was taller than most Cornerians. The man resembled an ape in appearance, except for his general lack of fur. His eyes were deep set and light blue, and he had a short red beard. His hair seemed normal enough, except it was long and tied back in a ponytail and had a light brownish red color to it. He was less muscular than she'd expected as well, being slightly heavyset. He wore an odd black and red uniform with a thick black vest marked with a small golden sigil on his left breast…

"Ah miss General…" Beltino said. "And Krystal, it's a pleasure to finally see you again."

"Hello Beltino," Krystal replied with a smile.

Beltino waited for everyone to find their seats. "Well, this is one of our guests, Jeffery Hamilton…" he said causing the human to bow his head slightly.

Vanity paused for a moment. "Well sir, it's a pleasure to actually meet a real living human and…"

"I apologize for the forwardness, but I seriously doubt humans deserve such a kind welcome here…" he said in a soft but firm tone. "I would like to apologize for our peoples' past stupidities."

"No…" Vanity said. "There is no need for that. It is in the past. I am certain your people are sorry for what happened."

The human seemed to be silent for a moment. "Yes, we are. I hate to be this rude General, but, I think it's safe to say you'd like to know our reason for being here, right?"

"Could you possibly tell me?" the feline asked.

The man sighed. "No problem," he said. "We four are here as a sort of ambassadorship. 3rd Earth's leader understands that your people are strong and have already crippled one leg of the Omni Corporation, but he refuses to act on it. He's a fucking sniveling coward…"

"What do you have against Omni?" Krystal asked.

He sighed again. "You really think they're only attacking your people?" he asked. "My home has been under their control for a long as I can remember. Every bit of our government is corrupted because of those bastards, and I've got suspicions that they may have been behind Earth's destruction," he explained. "My team's fought them before, but their new ships…that arwing design they've got…frankly our Keizers can't keep up with 'em."

"Keizers?" Vanity asked.

The human sighed. "The Keizers are the robotic battle suits my team pilot. I'm sure you've seen the photos the Professor here took. My team will under no circumstance cause any harm to a Lylatian unless I see that they are clearly working for Omni. And even though I can't assure you we can take Omni down together, I can assure you that by the time we're done, they'll wish they were never born."

Vanity thought for a moment. "Do any of you have a military background?" she asked.

"Sort of…" he answered. "I was military. 3rd Earth Second battalion, Airborne defense and Tactics. One of my partners in your detention area is named Alex. He was part of an elite covert operations outfit put up by the 4th division Marines. Nick...well, I'll say he's good, but he's more intel and demo; really likes to see things blow up. I think he was some sort of serial arson, but who knows. Then there's Randy. I'll admit that even though he's my best friend, I don't know all that much about him, though I've seen him do things that might imply a past as some sort of hitman. He's pretty creative when it comes to killing."

Vanity sighed. "I'm…unsure about what to do here," she admitted. "Your offer sounds a little too good to be true. Would you mind if I took the night to go over your proposal?"

"Can't see why not," Jeffery replied. "Seeing as…with or without your assistance we're going after Omni anyway. I just thought that with Lylat behind us we stood a better chance…"

"Alright then…" the black cat replied. "I apologize that you all may have to stay in the detention center tonight, but I'll have some food brought to you."

Jeffery nodded as they all stood up. "That's fine by us…we've stayed in worse. Just bring a lot of food. Randy may not talk much, but he can eat like there's no tomorrow."

Vanity agreed with a chuckled as several animals escorted the human back to the detention area…

"Krystal…" Beltino said heading for the door. "I'll show you where you and your team can stay for the night."

"Thank you, Beltino. I could use the sleep."

* * *

_**......The next morning……**_

_**......24 hour remaining……**_

Sia was amazed that she was the one asked to watch after Fox. She realized that there was not much that she'd contributed to the whole of what had happened…for the most part she was just an innocent bystander caught in the middle of everything. She was told how to watch out for any change in the vulpine's condition. She'd found that there was something odd about the situation. It was strange. She had always felt safe and welcome with Fox nearby, but now that she was in the hospital room with him, it was like he wasn't even there at all. Sia tried several times to force his eyelids open, just to make sure that it was still him in there, but every time she saw his undilated pupils she knew that it was him. She would take a short time every so many hours to leave the room, use the bathroom, get something to eat and drink, and when she got back, he was of course right there again.

The golden-brown furred husky sighed as she found her seat next to the injured animal's bedside, and with a heavy yawn she laid her head on the side of Fox's bed and lazily dozed off.

**~//~**

_Fox was still trying to grasp where he was, or what he was doing in that small corner of hell when something hit him. It was a pressure on his head that forced him to his knees. He knew that he was alive now. No such pain could possibly exist in any kind of paradise. A scream of sheer agony erupted from the tormented soul's lips as he fell rolling onto his back, his paws desperately trying to hold his splitting skull together. After what seemed like forever, the fit calmed a little making it possible for the poor vulpine to climb to his feet, grunting in pain at every motion his body made. It was as he stood up, however, that the blurry, blank landscape, wherever he was, washed over with deep red. He could feel the thick liquid rushing up his shins…it was blood…_

_Fox studied the area for a moment; there was now a thick layer of blood that covered the ground, as far as the eye could see. It scaled all the way up to his knees. He almost panicked before he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Fox quickly spun around only to come face to face with a malicious smile, the same shadowy figure of a fox that his crew had seen on the Nemesis and on Kew so long ago. It was so close to him that he could have reached out and touched it had he not been so unnerved by the sheer look of the thing. As he studied the figure he noticed that there were no finer details to the figure at all. It was simply some physical silhouette, like a living shadow of some kind. As he studied it, the already malicious grin it bore grew more and more horrible until it's black façade faded away. Fox was horrified at what lie beneath. The grinning figure before him was one he'd seen all too often. It watched him from every mirror he'd ever looked into. The creature's face shifted to that of intrigue for a moment as it studied its own paws before looking behind itself…Fox was again terrified at what he saw. It was him, asleep in a hospital bed with Sia asleep next to him resting against the side of the bed. This new copy of himself looked over its shoulder at Fox and bore a devious smile before slowly stepping toward the image…_

_It was as Fox realized that the blood around his ankles seemed to be solidifying that he knew what was happening…_

"_SIA!!!" he screamed. "GET THE FUCK OUTTA THERE!!! SIIIAAAAAAAA!!!"_

_It was no use. Wherever he was he could see her, but there was nothing he could do. She couldn't hear him. Despite the fact that he knew she could not hear him, his calls didn't stop. He knew what was about to happen, and needed to do something to stop it. The desperate vulpine slammed his fists into the rock hard red substance around his legs, finally breaking free after a few good punches. He took the moment to rush the thing that was approaching the small scene in the distance, diving at the last moment, tackling the animal to the floor. The thing that he wrestled to the floor didn't seem to care for fighting him at all. It simply kept its eyes on Sia as if some twisted obsession had set in, making the young canine the only thing it could think of. With one last breath, Fox reached to whatever depths of himself he could possibly reach…_

"_SIA!!!!!!!"_

_The scream was loud enough to hurt his ears, and whether through luck or fate, the canine stumbled back in her chair falling to the ground. She stood up for a moment rubbing her backside before shaking her head. She took a moment before looking over Fox, and then shook her head again before leaving the room. Fox let out a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, it was cut off by the feeling of a fist, many times more powerful than anything he'd ever felt, striking him in the face. His body hurled into the air slamming quite violently onto the ground. He was happy he couldn't feel any pain at the moment, or he imagined that punch would have killed him. As he stood, the creature stood over the semblance of his body and opened its arms as if waiting for some sort of welcome embrace from Fox. To Fox's surprise, his body jolted forward sliding across the floor as if someone immensely powerful had just yanked him by the front of his shirt. He stood his ground, but another tug pulled him closer…and another, and another. They seemed to gain power the more he fought against them, up until he was being slowly dragged along the ground. He didn't want anything to do with that thing. He quickly shut his eyes as he realized that he could fight back no longer, and finally everything stopped. There was nothing, just the same whiteness as before. This time, however, there was something. It was a white vixen. She was taller than his mother with a very delicate build and, oddly, black stripes that nearly gave her the appearance of a tiger…_

"_Come with me Fox McCloud…He will return shortly."_

"_Adreus, right?" he asked._

"_Yes. Now come with me. There are things that you must know," she said. "For the good of all things…"_

_Fox made his way to his feet. "You wanna start making sense? This whole mysticism shit is really getting on my nerves."_

"_Very well," the vixen said turning about. "Then come with me…if you don't want that thing devouring your soul." she said bluntly before turning and walking off, Fox now following in step._

_As Fox followed his mysterious guide through the strange space, he looked back over his shoulder. What was this place? And why was that thing trying to attack him? Why was it looking at Sia like that? Did he even want to know? He didn't bother asking. Adreus seemed to know where she was going and that was good enough for Fox. At least for the time being he was not alone…

* * *

_**Author Notes:**_ Okay I thought I'd get this started, but, it's gonna be a while before I make an update. I want to take my time with every chapter possible. I'll start updating it next month hopefully, but, who knows right? Could be sooner. Anyhow, R&R and hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Shattered Hopes. _

_**PS:** I'd like to take thist time to thank **Crafty Lefty** for helping out as my editor/proofreader, and for making my work a little easier. Thanks Man. ^_^_

_ The Footsteps in the Darkness - SkullFox  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Notes: **_Sorry it came out a bit short and all but, gimme a break I've been very sick. Anyhow, here's chapter 2. Once again thanking Crafty Lefty for the great help and proofreading, as an editor he kicks ass. Anyhow, as always; thanks for the constant support, R&R and I'll see you next update...which will hopefully be sometime soon..._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox

* * *

  
_

……**Chapter 2……**

Krystal still tried her hardest to think of what she should do. She wanted to do the very best she could to fill in for Fox in his absence, but she was uncertain of whether or not to trust the humans. She knew well enough of their past, but Jeffery's thoughts seemed clear enough to her telepathy. Maybe it was just the suspicious part of her that being Kursed had sculpted into her mind. As Krystal she had never had much of a judgmental mind, but Kursed brought about several changes in the light blue vixen. She sighed a bit as she lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. The rooms of the space station were small and bland, containing white walls with a simply dense plastic coating over the walls and ceiling to give the place a bit less metal appearance. How did Fox handle the role as leader so well? She figured that it was most likely something he was born with, something that she was not. He simply had the charisma of a natural leader.

Of course, thinking of the injured animal caused her thoughts to trail off back to Corneria where, for all she knew, he had already died. She of course knew better, but her mind simply wouldn't stop reminding her that he could be gone in a heartbeat, and that she wouldn't be there with him. She'd already figured thought out what it was Fox would have done in her situation, but she was hesitant to act on it. How could she fight what was already scaling out into another war without him by her side? She sighed a bit as she looked to the door of her room, and after getting dressed, slowly headed out. It was incredibly early morning, but she still took her time in walking through the halls, where she stopped at a small room identical to her own. She then gave a small button next to the door a press that would give the occupant a warning that she was there. There were a few moments of delay before a slightly groggy voice came through a small intercom…

"Yes?"

Krystal hesitated for a moment. "Rose…I need to talk to you for a minute."

"Or course Krystal…" the cat's voice replied. "I'll be right out."

**~//~**

Several minutes later in the Station's cafeteria_, _the two sat at a small table in the massive galley. It was a room that even the Great Fox could have comfortably fit inside of. Several large panes of shatterproof glass looked out into space, and the black feline and blue vixen seemed to be the only two there, each with a steaming hot cup of coffee sitting in front of them. Vanity had listened to Krystal's ideas. She had really been thinking hard about this entire situation and had truly come up with the only plausible course of action…

"You're certain about this?" Vanity asked blowing on her coffee before taking a sip from the cup.

Krystal sighed. "It's stupid, I know…I'm sorry for waking you up for this."

Vanity reached out laying her paw on Krystal's. "No. I'm happy you thought to bring this to me when it wasn't necessary. Shows that you're starting to trust me."

Krystal took a sip of her drink before pushing the cup around in front of her. "To be honest…I've been inside your head Rose. I scan the thoughts of everybody I meet, you know? To give me a feel for who they are…"

"And? What did you find in this mess?" the charcoal furred feline asked tapping her forehead.

Krystal smiled. "The makings of a great general, and a good friend…"

Vanity laughed. "Well I'm afraid the High Council doesn't agree with you completely on that. They think I'm too inexperienced to handle a job this big, and you know that bitch Agatha. She thinks Mercenaries are worthless criminals."

"Yeah…" Krystal chuckled. "She really hated Fox," she said thinking back to her original reason for being here with the feline. "Jeffery was telling the truth. Everything he said panned out with his thoughts. They are here for Omni and if we don't help them, the four of them are going to get themselves killed trying to stop the company by themselves. So I'm going to let them stay on the Nemesis with us."

"Does this mean that I can count on you when Omni makes their move?" Vanity asked.

Krystal reached out a paw to the feline's shaking it heartily. "Yeah…you can count on all of us."

_**~//~**_

_Fox felt as thought they'd been walking forever. He had no idea where he was going and still had no idea where in the galaxy he was, but this Adreus person seemed to know where she was going…even though to Fox's eyes there was nothing around him more than the same blinding shade of white. He couldn't help but to stare at the vixen. Her fur was unlike any he'd ever seen; a white coat, with the stripes of a tiger. Where did she come from? After a bit of time he managed to stop thinking about it and started wondering about the place he was in again. It still made no sense. Adreus assured him that he wasn't dead, but then again how could she be so sure about that herself?_

_As it was impossible to tell how long he'd been traveling the area, Fox hurried to the vixen's side…_

"_So where exactly are we?" he asked. "My head or something?"_

_Adreus chuckled. "The cloisters of your mind are far more active than this place, I'm afraid. If I were to say it correctly, I would say we are in between life and death…somewhere where the physical meets the incorporeal, a place you could only come to if you were meant to."_

"_Then why the hell are you here?" Fox asked. "You dead too?"_

_Adreus laughed out loud. "Yes……I am…"_

_Fox stopped. "What?"_

_Adreus chuckled. "You need not fear, as I said before that you are not dead. There are simply things that you must know that only I can tell you."_

"_And what things would a dead person know that a living one wouldn't?"_

"_More than you might be willing to admit…" She paused. "We are here."_

_Fox looked about. "It's the same as everything else, just white."_

_Adreus turned to the confused vulpine with a smile. "Look harder…don't use your eyes."_

_Fox closed his eyes and concentrated on the world around him, whatever world it might have been. Something did feel different about this place. Sure it was strange, but if felt, it was natural. As he looked around, his mind painted a different picture of the area; his feet were on solid ground, in fact a large solid platform held stable by what appeared to be the air itself, the sky above him was that of the midnight sky over Corneria covered with thousands of stars, the platform was joined by a multitude of small paths that seemed to trail off forever in any direction, and at the center of the platform was a massive white flame that seemed to burn silently, an endless row of smaller flames leaving it and returning to it from all directions. He opened his eyes to the amazement that the area retained the shape his mind had seen…_

"_What is this place?" he asked in amazement._

"_This is the home of the last fragment of the Light…" Adreus said walking near the large massive fire in the center of the room. "Just as the Vyserage is meant to destroy everything, this one last gift from the light is only meant to create. Every small ember you see leaving 'The Flame' is a life lost, or a new life being created."_

_Fox stepped closer. "So…that legend…"_

"_Was true. Unfortunately, destroying what part of the darkness it did had all but destroyed the light as well. This flame was the light's last gift to the universe…the single thing that makes life possible. So we are all, in a way, connected to the light. This was something the Cerinians knew very well, and that is how they made the sword, The Blade of Ages. Alone the weapon is useless…it takes a special kind of understanding to use it properly, an understanding of the light inside of us all."_

_Fox thought for a moment. "Is that why I'm here?"_

"_Yes…and no," the tiger vixen said. "You are here because your body has been corrupted, and were your inner self to remain there, your soul would be corrupted just the same…"_

_Fox instantly felt his chest for the shard despite the fact that it wasn't there. "The shard…"_

"_Yes, the shard," she replied. "Long ago the Cerinians trapped the very essence of the darkness in that tiny crystal. It cost them dearly, but they did separate the Vyserage from its body. I believe that its body is what it's after…and it intends to use you to find it…"_

"_Why me?" Fox asked._

"_Why not?" Adreus replied. "Didn't you kill its last vessel? It seems that the wisest thing for it to do at any point after that would be to take the strongest body it could find."_

_Fox thought for a moment. "Then I'll just fight it here…if I kill it next time it shows up, there's nothing to worry about right?"_

_Adreus laughed out loud, a sound that rolled off the surroundings echoing endlessly. "You seem to have disillusioned yourself into thinking that the Vyserage can be destroyed," she said._

"_Anything that lives can be killed," Fox retorted._

"_Ah, and therein lies the problem…" the vixen said before fading into the foreground. "How do you then kill it…if it does not live?"_

_**~//~**_

_**The Next Morning……**_

**0 Hours remaining……**

Very early morning and most all rooms of the hospital were silent, the only real sound in any room being that of a sleeping patient, or in other cases, the sound of a heart monitor. The night staff scurried from room to room checking on patients, and every so often another emergency case would have to be processed in and be placed into an I.C.U, but in most cases it was a slow night, which meant good things for the hospital staff and the city, as the workers of the hospital were having enough problems with the mass of injuries from the assault from Katina that was set up by Omni. Visiting hours had been over for hours, and even Sia was forced to leave the premises with the promise that she'd be informed the moment there was any change in Fox's condition.

The lone vulpine still lay in his bed, battered and horribly wounded. Doctors had still not tried to remove the shard from his chest in fear that it would tear something vital as the object was dangerously close to his heart, and the slightest movement could possibly end the poor animal's life. The dark, still room, however, was disrupted by a small bit of movement as the animal's right paw twitched a bit. Suddenly his eyes shot wide open and his back arched off the bed before suddenly falling back to the bed below him.

A nurse making her rounds for the night yawned as she checked her watch. It was almost time for her to turn in for the night, but as the young vixen made her way into the halls, a familiar sight stumbled out of a room with his paws on the sides of his head. The nurse quickly called for help, which showed up in the form of a feline doctor and another nurse, and the three rushed to the vulpine's side.

The doctor was a light gray furred feline that tried to inspect the vulpine's condition when he found something wrong. The vulpine's breathing was abnormal; it was rapid and he showed no signs of the powerful painkillers that where fed into his system. Fox's eyelids were half shut as though he had no idea where he was. His body swayed lightly as if his legs were threatening to drop him to the floor. The two nurses rushed to hold him up, but suddenly the fox's eyes shot wide open before his face twisted into an evil scowl that caused the feline doctor to back off a bit, before a powerful chestnut furred paw clamped down around his throat. The doctor thrashed about madly trying to break the mercenary's grip as Fox pressed him into the metal wall of the halls before effortlessly sliding the animal up the wall until his legs were left dangling in the air. At this point the nurses tried everything possible to pull Fox off of the young feline, but with a single backward swing of his free paw the two nurses were tossed aside. They were now forced to watch on as Fox developed a purely insidious smile before reaching his free paw to the animal's chest. He grasped just under the feline's throat and with a sharp motion tore a large segment of bone and flesh from the animal's chest, exposing his innards to the two screaming nurses. The feline's body thrashed madly, clearly only reacting to the sudden horridness of his death, before Fox's grip released the twitching creature to the floor.

The young vixen nurse managed to make it to her feet and begin to rush down the halls, while the other nurse, a young brown furred rabbit, seemed frozen in fear at the sight she'd just witnessed. However a yell from the other nurse caused her to realize that the psychotic vulpine was slowly lumbering toward her while licking several of his claws clean of the doctor's blood. As Fox's horribly frightening smile shifted to the bunny, she quickly leaped to her feet scurrying down the halls. Fox started in a light jog before breaking into a full out sprint that the poor animal had no hope of outrunning. Just moments before catching the nurse, Fox leaped into the wall to her left pushing back off and driving himself and the bunny thought an empty hospital room door. Except for the erratic breathing of the vixen nurse, the halls of the hospital fell deathly quiet. There were no screams from the bunny that was in the room with Fox. The young nurse swallowed the lump in her throat that seemed to keep her from screaming before something leaped from the room's door. It had a familiar shape but until it bounded off the wall and rolled into the vixen's sight she wasn't sure what it was. She clamped her paws over her muzzle as she stared at the rabbit's severed head, a look of absolute horror etched onto her face. The vixen took no more time to witness the scene as she rushed down the halls, hoping and praying that Fox wouldn't come for her next. But as she made her way to the end of the hall a powerful force slammed into her back sending her screaming through the window where her body impacted the roof of a hover car in the hospital parking lot…

_**~//~**_

That morning Krsytal found herself still in her small room on the space station when something on the news caught her attention, causing her to turn up the volume to an audible level…

"Early this morning, a grizzly scene of carnage and bloodshed was discovered at the Corneria First District Hospital. Authorities claim that the assailant must have been incredibly strong as well as well trained and fast, as apparently every single victim was killed in brutal and horrible fashions, ranging from dismembered bones and limbs to complete and total decapitation and disembowelment. The police have teamed up with Lylat Special Forces in an effort to piece together what they can about the entire scene…" the reporter said. "There have been rumors of this being a preemptive strike by the Omni Corporation, but so far details are slim. Though there seem to be no actual survivors of the mass of gruesome bloodshed, a single vixen nurse, Teresa Valiance, seemed to have managed to save her own life by…oddly enough, by throwing herself from a fifth story window, where she landed on the vehicle of one of her coworkers. Teresa has been recently moved from critical to stable condition at a local, unnamed medical center for her own safety. Her list of injuries includes several shattered ribs, a punctured lung, a grade 3 concussion, a broken back, and a multitude of lacerations……"

The remote fell from the blue vixen's paw as she darted out of the room. There was no more time to wait. She had to get there. She had to know whether or not Fox was one of the casualties……


	3. Chapter 3

……**Chapter 3……**

_**Corneria First District Hospital……**_

_**1 day later……**_

Krystal found it hard to believe. What had happened at the hospital looked like something out of the worst kind of nightmare. She was certain that she hadn't taken a step yet without there being a carpet of blood beneath her feet. Some of the gruesome sights of the massacre even seemed to make Creed's stomach cringe. It was as they all approached Fox's room that Krystal turned to the only animal that dared follow her inside…

"Creed…wait here," she said walking a bit further down the hall without the large vulpine.

Creed sighed with relief as he took a moment to sit down in a nearby chair. His condition seemed to get worse by the day. He found himself sometimes struggling simply to get out of bed in the morning, and now found that a simple walk had nearly completely exhausted him. He covered his muzzle as he felt a coughing spell come on, and after pulling away his paw, wiped a fresh spot of blood onto the leg of his black jeans. He spit a few times to get the taste of his own blood out of his mouth, then looked back to Krystal, who at the moment was speaking with one of the Special Forces Agents that was assigned to the case, a rather tall snow leopard wearing a dark brown long coat. Krystal looked to the mutilated doctor, whose insides lay across the floor, before looking back to the feline investigator……

"Do you know what happened here yet?" she asked.

The leopard took a drag from a cigarette, exhaling a large cloud of white smoke. "We have surveillance videos, one eye witness, fingerprints, footprints…so yeah, we know who did it."

"Who?" Krystal asked. "Where is Fox? Did this sick fuck take him?"

"Actually no," the leopard replied. "He was the sick fuck," he said handing Krystal a small photograph of Fox holding the doctor near her feet up against the wall. "We printed that out from the videos we took from the security room here. Something still doesn't fit in all this though…" he said scratching his chin.

"What?" Krystal asked. "You mean besides the fact that Fox would never do something like this?"

"Well yes. Other than that…" the feline said heading down the hall a bit further with Krystal just behind him, before he pointed out the remains of a mangled female Lapin laying in a vacant room, completely void of a head. "Valerie Gainsborough…new nurse's intern. Now despite the fact that she was pretty thin, you'd best be one strong S.O.B. if you're gonna take someone's head off…even with a weapon. Now I have every confidence in Mr. McCloud's strength, but he took this poor kid's head off with his bare paws…anything about that seem odd to you?"

Krystal thought for a moment. "Fox was strong but, he wasn't that strong. I mean Creed could go that far if he wanted to, but that's another question."

"Well, it's my job to notice things out of the ordinary. That's why I was given this case and sent in here after the local authorities," the feline said. "L.C.I. (Lylat Central Intelligence) sent me in here because of my background which I'd rather not get into," he pointed out.

"Can you show me the videos?" Krystal asked quickly.

"Can't see why not?" he pointed out. "It's against regulation but…if you won't tell, neither will I," he said winking in her direction.

Krystal chuckled. "Thanks…Um…"

"John…" the leopard said. "John Kramer."

**~//~**

_Fox looked about the area. He was alone again, and there was nothingness all around him. It was as he realized that he was looking at what could be called the sky that he noticed he'd been unconscious. Hell, until now he had no idea he could even be unconscious here. What seemed like an eternity to the poor vulpine passed as he sat there refusing to stand, as he feared he'd fall victim to whatever had made him lose consciousness in the first place. He approached the large fire in the center of the abysmal nothingness around him. It was odd, it was definitely fire, but it didn't actually seem to burn anything, not even his fur when he passed his paw through it. There was a strangely soothing warmth to it, but no particular heat. He actually found himself studying his paw as he moved it about freely inside the dense flame. It was odd. It seemed the longer he studied the flame, the more he was certain he'd seen it before. It was not just a normal flame. This particular one, this massive silently roaring flame in no way whatsoever resembled a fire. Of course, it moved about and made all the motions a flame should, but it was fed by no fuel. It simply burned giving no heed to common logic dictating that fire needed fuel and air. It was simply there…_

_As Fox thought on about where he was and where he'd seen the flame before, he began to remember something about when he had blacked out, the first time he fought Syler. His team told him that he had done something that caused the entire station to collapse inward on top of itself…but there was something that he'd never told anyone, not even Krystal. While he was unconscious, he had heard something that was now clear. He had heard Adreus calling him. It was at that moment that everything fell into place: Adreus, who she was, why the Vyserage refused to come around this place he was in._

"_Adreus!" he shouted. "I understand! I knew I'd heard your voice before. When I blacked out on Omni's Beta complex…" He half whispered to himself, "You…"_

_A light chuckle drifted through the air. "Then you realized what kind of danger everyone is in?"_

"_Yes…" Fox replied. "How do I stop it?"_

_The white vixen's stripes seemed to fade into sight as her form slowly followed after. "And at what price, would you be willing to stop it?" she asked._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You intend to fight something that, by any standard, you have no chance of defeating," she replied. "What would you be willing to sacrifice in order to kill the creature that has control of your body?"_

_Fox lowered his head. "It's not about me…it never was. I just want the others to be safe, especially Krystal."_

"_You would willingly give yourself to make this happen?" Adreus asked._

"_I…I…just wanted to be with Krystal. I just wanted to give her the life she deserved, a family, somewhere to call home. I just…I just wanted to tell her how much I love her one last time," Fox said. "But that's not gonna happen, is it?"_

_The vixen lay a paw on the vulpine's shoulder. "There is no possible way of fully understanding the future, Fox McCloud."_

"_But Drake said…"_

"_You must understand that the Drogan are a proud people…" Adreus said cutting Fox off. "They tend to stretch their beliefs to the limits…"_

"_So…then Drake was wrong?"_

"_Not fully…" she replied. "Though it is impossible to fully see the future for what it truly is…the Drogan have delved into it. Yet they do not seem to understand that no matter what happens…if they look into the future twice, it is never the same. That is because there are countless animals and creatures across this universe, creatures that make daily choices that shape the future into what it will be." _

_Fox smirked a bit. "Hmmm…if that's the case, maybe I'm not meant to die yet."_

"_Perhaps…" Adreus replied. "I happen to believe that the time of your death can only be told by two beings in this universe…" She paused. "God……and yourself."_

_Fox thought for a moment. "Then show me. I want to know how to stop that thing."_

**~//~**

Creed had followed Krsytal and Mr. Kramer down into the hospital's security room where they all sat and watched the video from the night of the incident in question. Krystal couldn't believe the scenes of brutality that her eyes were seeing; it was savage and cruel, as if Fox was gathering some sort of enjoyment from the screams that fell silent due to the video's lack of audio feed. Whatever was happening here, Krystal was certain that it had to do something with the black shard buried in the vulpine's chest. It was however just before the video ended that Fox looked to the camera, almost as if staring right at the three watching the video. There was a brief pause as a familiarly sadistic smile stretched across his face before his claws tore into a defenseless nurses abdomen. Creed and Krystal looked to each other for a moment in shock…

"That smile…look familiar to you?" Creed asked.

Krystal was still having a hard time believing this. "Yeah…that's not Fox."

"You think maybe that's how that thing was controlling Arlex?"

The feline agent looked between the two. "Um…what the hell are you two going on about?"

"There's no real time to explain…" Krystal replied. "Do you know where he went?"

"That's just the problem…" John said. "We don't know where he went. It's like he just walked out the front door and fuck'n vanished. No footprints, no stolen vehicles, not even a drop of those gallons of blood he was wearing. Like I said, it's like he just vanished."

Krystal thought for a moment. "Hmmm…I have to get back to our ship. I'll do what search I can for him up there. Check any sort of vehicle that might not have been covered by your original search…"

John sighed. "Yes ma'am," he said. "I'll get your ship's com number from the General when I'm ready to tell you what I've found."

"Thank you," Krystal said as she and Creed made their way out of the hospital.

"Don't mention it…" John said lighting a cigarette. "You all seem to know a lot more about what's going on here than we do," he said looking back to the video, which was frozen on Fox's malicious smile.

**~//~**

Once back aboard the Nemesis, Krystal and the others did whatever they could to find Fox. They checked over every scrap of information they could find, but there was so far nothing they could find having anything to do with the vulpine's disappearance. A day turned into a week, and there had still been no information on Fox's whereabouts. It was as if he'd dropped from the face of the universe, and this caused Krystal's heart to sink. The blue furred vixen lost herself in her constant attempts to find Fox so much that she hadn't even noticed that the small crew of humans had already made it to the Nemesis via transport from the Gate Station. She'd lost count of the hours she'd spent on the bridge. She found that she hadn't even had time to meet the rest of Jeffery's crew. She knew it was impolite to do so, but she simply couldn't take her mind off of what had happened at the hospital. It had been several days, nearly a week when Krystal found herself wandering past the training room, where she heard a strange voice arguing with Jeffery…

"Why are we just waiting around?" the stranger asked in a clam voice. "We came here to fight Omni, not sit around on our asses."

"Randy…" Jeff replied. "This crew has it's own problems. Let them sort them out before you start with this shit again…"

"No you listen," Randy replied. "Omni is out there…sitting there. Doesn't that seem strange to you?" he asked. "I understand what the Captain of this ship is going through right now, but whatever Omni is planning, it's not gonna be good, and if we aren't ready for it, we're all screwed…and I am not gonna die before I get my hands on that son of a bitch."

"You think I wouldn't like to get my hands on Vic's sorry ass too?" Jeff retorted. "That piece of shit ruined my life too…I wouldn't be here if it weren't for that bastard. Just try to remember your training…patience. Remember patience?"

"Randy, why the hell are you staying in here anyway?" another voice asked. "I know we always said that the training room was like your home but, this is ridiculous."

"It just feels more like home…" Randy replied.

Krystal stood there as the door opened allowing a slightly tall human with dark, short hair on his head to step out of the room. He was much more muscular than Jeffery, his uniform was however missing it's short sleeves, and his skin was a bit darker than Jeffery's. He stopped for a moment as he saw the blue furred vixen standing there…

"You must be the captain…" he said offering her a friendly hand. "I'm Alex, weapons specialist."

Krystal smiled as she shook the man's rather large hand. "Krystal, please…I'm only a temporary captain."

"Yeah…I um…heard about this McCloud guy," he replied. "I'm sorry…" Krystal looked toward the floor. "Umm…so. Where can a guy get some food around here? I'm starving."

Krystal chuckled. "All the way down the hall. Take the lift to the second deck. If you get lost from there just ask MIA for directions. She's the ship's computer."

"Thank you," the human replied heading off down the halls.

Krystal thought for a moment, and as she took one last look at Alex, she realized that humans, even the shorter ones, were a bit taller than the average Cornerian, or Cerinian for that matter. It was only a half-foot or so, but it was still enough to make her feel short. Then there was Jeff. Compared to Krystal, he was a giant. She also didn't expect the humans she'd met so far to be so well behaved, but she was certain there was a downfall to them being on the Nemesis. As she thought to herself, another of Jeff's team walked out of the room. He was as tall as Jeff, maybe even a bit taller, but possessed nothing in the field of a physical build. He looked sickly thin and pale skinned, he had a rough, thick patch of light brown hair on his head, and wore a surprisingly friendly smile as he saw her…

"Hi…"

Krystal chuckled at the unusually pleasant tone to his voice. "Hello. I take it you're with Jeffery's crew?"

The gangly human cringed a bit. "Yeah, you shouldn't call him that. Doesn't like his full name. You should just call him Jeff. I'm Nick…well Nicolas, but don't call me that either. Just Nick."

"Okay, Nick," Krystal laughed lightly shaking his hand. "My name is Krystal."

"You don't look like any kind of fox I've ever seen…" Nick said thinking for a moment. "Then again, we only really managed to save two of the species when we moved to Second Earth, and one's a little endangered right now on Third Earth."

"Well…I'm not exactly like any fox you'll ever see." Krystal smiled. "And the galley is down that way," she said pointing in the direction Alex had previously gone.

"I didn't ask…" Nick replied.

Krystal chuckled. "No but you were about to."

Nick looked confused before he smiled. "Telepathy…nice. Must come in handy."

"It has its downsides," the blue vixen said.

"Hmmm…I think I'll go annoy Alex for a little while."

Krystal laughed. "He's in the galley…unless he got lost."

Nick laughed. "Alex? Get lost? That man couldn't find his way out of a paper bag with a match and a compass." Nick froze for a moment looking around. "Please don't tell him I said that…the old bruises haven't healed yet."

"Don't worry I won't." Krystal chuckled before Nick headed down the halls.

She couldn't help but laugh a bit inwardly at the human. He was eccentric and a bit entertaining, but nothing like the other two humans she'd met so far. She wondered if the other member of Jeff's team that she hadn't met would come out next. She really did want to meet everyone and try to lay out as much friendly ground as possible. However, her thoughts of that were cut short, as Jeff was the last to leave the room. Krystal was still amazed by the man's size. He nearly had to duck to get though the door. However, there were several things different about him now as opposed to when she'd met him at the gate station. He was wearing normal clothing that didn't seem that much different than normal Cornerian clothing, a long chain hung around his neck with a crucifix hanging from it, his long brow hair was no longer held back in a ponytail, and his light blue eyes were hidden behind thick-lens, square framed glasses…

"Oh…" he said. "How long have you been standing out here?"

"Long enough," she assured him.

Jeff sighed. "Sorry about Randy. He…well…he's got some serious issues with Omni. Hell, I think maybe we all do. It's just the way Randy is really."

"He's a little hot blooded..." Krystal pointed out. "But I don't sense any anger in his voice."

Jeff looked back to the closed door. "Passionate is more like it. He hasn't really got much of a temper until someone pushes him the wrong way too hard."

"I take it this Victor person caused all this stress then?"

Jeff sighed a bit heavier. "You could say that," he replied. "He was one of Randy's best friends and a member of our team. When he heard that we were going to assault a place on Third Earth called Gamma Complex, he turned us in to Omni. The team split up for a short while and hid. Randy took off with his family, but Victor…he found where Randy had went, and killed his fiancé and his four year old, then tried to kill Randy when he finally came home." Jeff scoffed a bit. "But, the only way I see Victor ever beating Randy is with a bullet…and even then I've got some doubts. I'll just say that each member of my team is……special."

"How special?" Krystal asked.

"I'll answer that when I think you're ready to hear it," Jeff replied. "Well in any case, it's best to just leave Randy to himself for a bit. He needs to adjust to the way things are going," Jeff said turning and heading down the hall. "Besides I'd like to hear any plans you might have on what to do with Omni. I don't like saying so, but Randy's right. If they've just been sitting on the boarder this long, they're planning something…and it's not something any of us are going to like too much."

_**Unknown Location……**_

A tall opposing figure sat in a large black, cushioned chair as he watched the several monitors in front of him. The strange lighting of the room even hid his face from the young black furred wolf who approached the desk with a low bow…

"M-m-my lord," he lightly stuttered.

"Come now Sano…" the ominous figure said in a calm yet intimidating voice. "You have no reason for formalities…'Sir' will do nicely."

The wolf stood up straight. "Yes, Sir."

"How goes everything?" the tall man asked.

"Everything is going wonderfully…but…if I may…"

There was a light chuckle from the animal behind the desk. "You may."

"Why do we not simply attack?" the lupine asked. "Both Corneria and Katina have taken heavy damage and would fall easily…why send in Agent-X?"

"I want nothing to do with this crumb of space…" the wolf's leader replied. "My goals lie elsewhere…and X is perfectly capable of getting what information I need from that little corner or space…and with that small bit of our forces on the boarders, they'll never be the wiser. Omni is still recovering from losing Beta complex…not to mention the Sigma complex that those humans took out." The tall one thought for a moment. "Come to think of it…what were our losses from those two incidents Kye?"

The room's intercom sounded off with a light feminine voice. "If you add up the personnel, the loss of Beta and Sigma, along with that disturbance with our black market trade…" she pointed out. "Roughly 865 billion credits…"

The boss let out a dissatisfied grunt. "Also…send word to X…I want to know everything about this animal that attacked the hospital that's been on the news. I'd like to thank him for giving us all the credit," he said. "Also, get together some of your scientists…I want to test our new toy."

Suddenly the wolf thought of something. "Ah, that's right, Sir," he said. "Those two mercenaries you sent for have arrived."

"Hmmm…Jack Paramician and…Reiko…hmmm…no last name."

"He wouldn't give us a last name, Sir."

The shadowy figure lit up a large cigar. "Regardless, his track record is impressive. Bring them in…I have a very special mission for the two of them."

* * *

**Author Notes:**_ Well that's three chapters down, god only knows how many more left. Anyhow thanks for reading; Don't forget to R&R and I'll see you next update. _

_Thanks again to **Crafty Lefty** for the constant help..._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox  
_


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Notes:**_Yay!! Here's chapter four, sorry if it's a bit on the slow side but, it'll pick up soon. Anyhow thanks for the support and thanks again to Crafty Lefty for the huge helps ^_^_

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox

* * *

  
_

……**Chapter 4……**

**The Next Morning…**

Krystal found that the ship's human guests were up and about before she ever woke up. She was certain that they were the first to wake up on the entire ship. Normally Creed would have been awake first, but as his condition seemed to worsen, he seemed to sleep longer and longer. It saddened her to think that sooner or later he wouldn't wake up. She took note as she sat down for breakfast of all the faces in the room. At the far end of the room, Jeff sat with Alex talking about some matter or another. A ways away from them, Silver sat with Roxy, the two still carrying on like they were the only people in the world. Another table was occupied by Creed, Jane, Mika, and Vixy. How small the team was now. Lastrad had taken Gwen home after Kaleb's death, Jared and Shera left in search of a place where they could escape the constant fighting…but most of all, she missed the one animal that should have been there……

**~//~**

Fox woke in a place he could hardly understand. He was surrounded by green forestry, a soft wind blew through his fur, and his head hurt. He looked about to see that the forest floor was covered with dead leaves. Was all of that just a dream? It was funny - he didn't recall falling asleep. He reached a paw up to wipe his forehead in relief only to feel something wet and sticky smear across his brow, which caused him to look at his paws. He was instantly shocked as he noticed that his normally chestnut fur was painted a deep red, thick with blood. But not only his paws; though he was devoid of all clothing, not one inch of his body was not covered in the red liquid that had long ago dried to his fur. He could hardly believe it…

"What the fuck did I do?" he asked himself shakily.

As he placed a paw on his chest, it met something hard and cold. He looked down to see the small black shard sticking slightly from his chest. He thought back…

"Wait a minute…" he said to himself. "The shard…did I?" It hurt his head trying to remember what had happened. Reaching to the dark crystal Fox pulled with all the might he could possibly muster, but the shard only caused a surge of horribly pain to shoot through his body, dropping him to his knees. "Won't come out…"

The agonized vulpine slowly climbed to his feet and looked around for a moment. Once he recognized the Saurian environment around him, he slowly made his way out toward Thorntail Hollow where he planned on washing himself off before finding a means in which to get himself home. He found that his body was worn out for some reason despite the fact that he'd only just woken up from some sort of sleep or other. His head was pounding like nothing he'd ever experienced before. It felt as if his skull could burst at any moment.

A short walk later, the blurry visions of the foliage around him gave way to the open land of Thorntail Hollow, where he quickly made his way to the stream to wash himself off. He was happy to remove all the caked on blood from his fur, but much more so one he recalled the Cerinians that now lived in the area…funny, he hadn't seen any yet. Curious, the confused vulpine walked off into the small village that the small tribe had set up, but he was sickened at what he'd found…the village was a bloodbath. Men, women, children…all brutally slaughtered. How could anyone do such a thing? He desperately searched for any sign of survivors, but he only found mangled bodies and torn corpses. It was as if they'd all been ravaged by some sort of wild animal; something many times worse than anything he'd ever known. He searched from tent to tent hoping and praying that there was a survivor somewhere that could tell him what had happened. It was as he cleared a tent that something caught his eye. It moved incredibly quickly, but he noticed instantly what and who it was…

"LIA!! LIA WAIT IT'S ME FOX!!" he shouted rushing off after her.

The young vixen moved through the forest like a Cerinian, ducking low branches, and moving through narrow passages without loosing any of her speed or footing. Fox continuously called out to her, but the creature simply kept running until Fox broke out into a small, open glade where the vixen had her back to a small cave in the large wall of stone behind her. A primitive spear was clenched tightly in her paws…

"STAY BACK!!!" she yelled. "How could you do that to us?!"

Fox paused for a moment. "Lia, calm down. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"DON'T PLAY INNOCENT WITH ME!!!" the vixen screamed. "YOU KILLED THEM ALL!!! YOU KILLED HER PARENTS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER!!!"

Fox's eyes went wide as he looked to the small hole in the stone at the vixen's feet where a small ball of blue fur curled up hiding her face, as if some sort of monster was after her, shivering and helplessly trying to hold back her own crying…

"No…." Fox lightly said to himself. "You must have seen things wrong…I'd never…"

"SHUT UP!!!" Lia shouted. "I'm not blind, Fox. I watched it all happen. I don't know what's happened to you, or what's going on inside that head of yours, but don't you dare take another step toward me or this kit," she said.

"Lia…" Fox said calmly. "This is me. You know I'd never do anything like that."

Lia hesitated for a moment. "I saw you at the stream…washing the blood out of your fur." She pointed out, "If you didn't kill them all, why were you wearing their blood?"

Fox stopped. He hadn't thought about the blood…only getting it off of him. He thought about the vixen's words. How could he explain the blood? Or the fact that he recalled nothing about ever being on Sauria again? The last thought and memory he had was of fighting Arlex. He shivered at the thought of not having control of his own body, and as the thoughts of killing all the Cerinians he'd helped protect worked through his mind, he faltered.

"_Could I really have done this?" _he asked himself.

Fox stepped toward Lia. "Lia you have to…." He was however cut off by the point of her spear piercing the left side of his chest. Fox stopped in disbelief that she'd actually do something like that, but worst of all, he realized that he felt no pain. "Lia……why…." He cut himself off. "What's going on here?" he asked pulling the weapon from his flesh.

The wound seeped a small amount of blood, only to seal up, leaving only a small trail of red as any sure sign of the wound itself. Fox stared at the spot that had previously been occupied by the point of Lia's spear. "You see?" Lia asked. "You're not one of us anymore. You're something else."

Fox's chest rapidly fell with his heavy breathing, while tears trailed down his face. "I need a ship…The Sharpclaw have ships." he said to himself. "I-I–I have to get out of here!" he shouted rushing off into the woods.

Lia couldn't understand what was going on. Fox seemed as though he truly had no clue what was going on. However, as far as she was concerned, none of that mattered. She'd sworn to protect the young one still cowering behind her. She knelt down stroking the little vixen's hair causing the child to look up to her…

"Come on little one," she said. "We have to find a transmitter somewhere. Krystal has to know."

_The Nemesis……_

_3 hours later……_

Creed looked around the docking bay, eyeing what Jeff, Alex, and Nick were up to as they worked with their odd ships. They were much less like any ship he'd ever really seen, a lot like the Prototype armor suits used in the Lylat Wars, but they were very streamlined and much smaller, only standing at about seven or eight feet tall. As he stood by, he wondered why he'd never really seen their fourth team member. After all, he had to eat at some point, didn't he? A violent fit of coughing caused the humans across the room to look over to the terminally ill vulpine, who simply signaled for them to ignore him. As Creed recovered, he placed his paw on the Arwing beside him, not realizing that the paw that had covered his mouth was now covered in blood, and as he walked out of the room, his paw left a long smear across the nose of his fighter. After the vulpine left the docking bay, Jeff looked back to Alex…

"You think these mods are really gonna work?" Alex asked.

"Never know…" Jeff replied. "Beltino said they would make our Keizers that much better…so why fight it?"

The large human stopped on his way out of the docking bay to examine the trail of blood on the nose of Creed's small ship. He wiped his fingers across the red smear and smelled his fingers…

"Hmm…probably cut himself," he said to himself. "You two finish up with your units, I need to talk with Krystal about something."

**~//~**

Mika walked down the halls of the ship dressed for her normal training, tight, thigh-length shorts, and a sports top, both of a dark red, with black sneakers and a pair of red punching gloves. She was tying her long white hair into a ponytail as she entered the room only to notice that the air about the room had changed from the last time she was there. She walked over to her normal heavy bag only to take notice to something new; there was a human laying on a long resting bench just to her left. He wasn't very noticeable at first because his face was covered by a small towel, possibly to hide the constant light from his eyes. She could tell that he was much shorter than the other humans she'd seen on the ship. His build however was rather sleek and athletic while retaining quite a bit of muscular bulk. He was also slightly differently dressed. He wore a white tank top with a pair of jean shorts and a thick black belt., which matched the fingerless leather gloves on his hands. As she examined the human, she noticed something leaning against his resting spot; a long curved sword who's blade was hidden in a dark, almost bloody red scabbard which matched the color of its handle. She'd seen swords of its kind before, but the ones she had seen weren't quite so……simple. Its hilt was simply a round disk of whatever light blue tinted metal the weapon was made of, with a long ribbon tied to its pommel. Curiously, she approached the weapon and slowly reached for it…

"Paws off…" A light voice made the towel on the man's face jump.

Mika quickly stepped back. She was certain that he was asleep. "You always try to scare people like that?" she asked.

"That depends…" he replied. "You always go messing with people's things without their permission?"

Mika had to admit that he was right. "I'm……sorry okay? I've just never held one before."

The man sighed a bit before picking up the weapon and holding it out to her. "If you cut yourself, it's your own fault."

As Mika took the sword, she noticed that it was incredibly light. If she had to guess, she'd have sworn it was less than five pounds. It was a long weapon, nearly as tall as she was, roughly five feet in length, if not a bit shorter. She only pulled it a short way from its scabbard, taking note of very intricate inlays about the base of the blade that almost resembled small, rolling clouds. After fully pulling the weapon from its sheath, she looked it over again. Its tip was tapered into a small angle, but it was curved like a saber…

"It's called a katana…an Odachi to be more specific," the human said pulling the towel away from his face.

He had very little of what could be called hair on his head, more like short, fine stubble, and a small bit of thin hair circling his mouth. He also had deep-set hazel eyes that almost looked green in the light, and a jagged scar crossed over the very corner of his left eyebrow. Whatever had caused it had scarcely missed his eye.

"They were used a long time ago…on Earth."

Mika looked over the weapon again. "Earth…it was destroyed wasn't it?"

"Yeah…" he replied.

Mika slid the strangely beautiful weapon back into its scabbard before handing it to the human. "I heard you the other day talking to that Jeff person. You really think Omni is planning something?"

"Omni would never do something like this…not unless they were planning something," he said. "It's not like them to just sit and wait…"

Mika really didn't want to talk about Omni even though she had asked the question. "So…you any good with that thing?" she asked pointing to the human's sword.

Before Mika could realize that he'd moved, she could hear the sound of the weapon's blade resonating in her ear. The edge of the weapon had stopped less than an inch away from her skin, sending several fine hairs of fur to the floor. The human found it odd that she didn't seem afraid of what had just happened…

"Good enough?" the human asked keeping a straight face.

"Hmph…" Mika huffed. "I've seen better."

The human scoffed. She was testing his tolerance. "Right…"

Mika thought for a moment. "You train often?"

The human gave her a questioning look…

"Whadda you think?" he asked.

Mika stepped toward the ring. "I think……you should spar with me," she replied. "Everyone else seems to be too busy…so?"

The human shook his head. "I don't wanna hurt anyone."

"You're not gonna hurt me…" Mika chuckled. "You'd be lucky enough if you could hit me."

The human shrugged his broad shoulders. At least this could prove entertaining. The white minx seemed confident in her own skills, but he could see that she was trying still to test him…he wasn't sure what she was testing him for, but for some reason she seemed to want to see him fight. As he walked into the ring, Mika took an extra notice that he wasn't bulky with muscle like a lot of males she'd seen before…maybe it was just something with humans. However, she had seen his brand of musculature before; her uncle, who had taught her to fight all those years ago, was built much like this human was. Her uncle had told her that it came from intense training, opposed to intense weight lifting, tightening and compounding muscles rather than making them larger and more bulky.

As the human stood there, he removed his belt, which seemed more for its decorative purposes than to hold up his shorts, and tossed it aside. Mika smiled when he took a defensive stance, taking an offensive one in response. She hadn't even noticed the shift in his step before the human lunged forward. The attack took her completely by surprise. She'd never heard of any martial artist attacking from a defensive stance before. The roundhouse kick that soared over her head just as she managed to duck quite possibly could have knocked her unconscious. She had, however, dodged it by such a thin margin that she slipped and fell to the mat. Mika's opponent took a step back to allow her to get up, and after standing, Mika readjusted her stance and regained her composure. She fell for it once, and she wasn't about to fall for it again…without warning of any kind, the pale furred minx shot across the ring with impressive speed, driving a strong right toward the human's ribs, which was stopped by his left. Expecting that he'd block her strike, her second went low, tearing the human's legs out from under him. As he fell to his side however, his right leg swung about striking Mika in the side of the head. Mika's vision instantly blurred. If she would believe such a thing, she'd say his kick was almost like one of Fox's . The attack she'd received stunned her for a moment, causing her to loose her footing. But as she felt herself falling back, she dropped all her weight into her legs as she thrust them both into the human's chest, causing him to hit the mat, then roll out of the ring and onto the floor…

"Hah. Ring out…" Mika scoffed. "I win."

In an instant, the human was back on his feet, leaping from the ring's turnbuckle. Mika attempted to move, but the kick to the side of her head had kept her from doing anything. He landed crouched over her midsection with his fist mere inches from her face…

"Ring outs don't count in the real world," he said with a slightly heavy breath.

A pain filled look suddenly caused the human's eyes to double in size as he fell back against the ropes of the ring. "No…but low blows do," Mika replied still refusing to stand up.

After a short while of lying there in pain, the human managed to sit up. "Nice……punch," he huffed. "And I was beginning to think you were afraid to hurt someone."

"Thanks…" Mika replied. "But how about we play by the rules next time."

The human thought for a moment. "Any time…umm…"

"Mika…" the Minx replied. "You?"

"Randy…" the human said. "And don't ever hit me there again."

**~//~**

Krystal sat in the captain's seat of the bridge silently hoping that Omni would simply leave without trying anything stupid. It seemed like the only thing she was capable of doing without Fox there. She wondered if this was how he felt when she'd left him alone all those years ago. Not having him here was turning out to be one of the hardest things she'd ever had to deal with. Every day she found less and less reason to get out of bed in the morning, but the hope of finding him pulled her back to her feet every time. Today was nothing different. She had her doubts about even climbing out of bed, but once again her thoughts of finding Fox alive and well were enough to get her onto her feet. It was, however, as she sat there in Fox's seat that MIA sounded off…

"Emergency transmission incoming…Source: Unregistered transmitter located on planet Sauria."

"Hmmm…that's odd…" Krystal said looking over to Vixy who sat across the room.

"Emergency transmission incoming…Source: TI-600 class transmitter, military coding present," the ship's computer sounded off again.

"Sounds like it's from Rose…" the blue-furred captain said. "The other'll have to wait. Open up the military transmission MIA."

The holographic imaging system in the room, though unseen, painted an almost tangible image of Vanity standing in the middle of the room. "Krystal, we have a problem," the image of the black feline said. "Seems Omni has made their first move. There was a satellite report of unregistered single unit ships entering Macbeth's atmosphere. They were reported landing at an old munitions site there. It was shut down after the Lylat Wars, but it wouldn't take much for anyone to learn about the munitions dump that place turned into."

"What would Omni want with an old munitions dump?" Krystal asked.

"Possibly a place to put up a temporary HQ…we're not sure. But we need your team down there. We're still recovering from that fight with Katina. You are the only ones still mobile at the moment. We need what forces we have down here," Vanity said.

Krystal sighed. She really didn't want to do any of this without Fox. "Alright, we'll head there right now." The blue vixen froze up for a moment. "Any word from Teresa?" she asked hoping that the lone survivor of the hospital massacre had woken up.

Vanity lowered her head with a sigh. "No……we aren't going to hear anything from her," The black feline said. "She was so torn up from what she saw…broke her own drinking glass and cut her wrists with the shards. The nurses say she kept spouting nonsense about him coming back for her. The poor thing was delirious."

Krystal sighed. "I guess all I can do now is wait…and hope…"

"Seems praying is all any of us can do these days," Vanity replied. "Good luck on Macbeth, Krystal."

"Thank you, Rose," Krystal replied. "Take care of yourself…" she said ending the transmission. "MIA…get us to Macbeth."

"Course set for destination: Macbeth. Current time: 2:48pm. ETA: 12:26am."

Krystal looked to the space beyond the bridge, into the darkness that separated her from what she loved. _"Wherever you are…stay safe."_

"Krystal…what about the other message?" Vixy asked from across the room.

"It'll have to wait for a bit…I need some rest."


	5. Chapter 5

……**Chapter 5……**

……**Macbeth Outer Aerospace……**

**12:32am GST**

Krystal had been checking over the specs on her Arwing for over an hour making certain that everything was just right. She was simply waiting for the small group that she'd assigned for the mission to show up ready to leave the ship. Jeff had told her many things about the particular strengths of his teammates. Nick was a demolitions expert. If it could be blown up or destroyed, he was the man to talk to about it, but his actual battle training fell rather short outside of his Keizer. Jeff himself was more of a tactician and, like Nick, found that his skills mainly seemed to revolve around aerial combat rather than ground. Jeff had suggested that she take Alex and Randy with her. Alex was their team's mechanic and had already proven his genius when it came to all things mechanical. She could see why he would be a weapons specialist. As for Randy however, Jeff had little to say other than taking him would be a good idea if they intended to go anywhere on foot. Taking his suggestions, the blue furred vixen decided to take the two humans with her small group. Only Silver, Mika, and Vixy would go with her, as she feared the worst in allowing Creed to come along, though she also didn't want to go without him.

As Krystal finalized her preparations, her two crew members walked into the docking bay. Vixy was dressed in a light green flight jacket that looked an awful lot like the one Fox used to wear during his older years in Star Fox, Mika wore what Krystal had come to expect of the young minx, nothing more than a sleeveless red shirt and a pair of loose fitting jeans along with a pair of fingerless gloves, while Silver was dressed in a light blue vest that he'd recently taken a liking to over a white tee shirt and a pair of long jean shorts, claiming that they were simply easier to move in than pants. Unfortunately, as they all met with Krystal, a much larger vulpine made his way into the room dressed in his large sleeveless red coat adorned with a large black cross that stretched across his back, with Jane of course staying at his side. He seemed to manage keeping his composure despite the fact that most everyone knew he was in constant pain…

"Where do you think you're going?" Krystal asked as he finally made it to the small group.

"With you…" he replied matter-of-factly.

Krystal sighed. "I'm sorry Creed. Nothing would make me feel better than having you down there with me, but you aren't going anywhere in your condition."

"I don't recall asking for your permission…" he replied. "…You can leave me here, but like it or not…I'm going down there."

"Creed you could die," she finally replied.

Creed sighed as he made his way to his own Arwing. "So could you…"

As soon as the vulpine was out of her sight, Jane turned to Mika. "Mika…look after him. Make sure he doesn't go overboard. His heart can't take too much stress."

"Hey don't worry about it…" Mika responded. "He'll be fine."

A few moments later, a single human made his way onto the bridge. It was Alex, dressed in his normal red and black outfit, however now it was covered in several areas by a slightly thin layer of blast armor that was a sheer black color. He was carrying a large rifle over his shoulder, a small headset around his ears dangled a mic near the corner of his mouth and a small red screen over his right eye…

"So…we all ready?" he asked stopping in front of the group.

"For the most part…" Krystal replied. "We're just waiting for Randy."

Alex chuckled. "Probably already in here…" he replied placing two fingers over his ear. "Randy where are you?"

As the group stood by, one of the human's robot suits made its way over. Krystal admitted that they were impressive, but small compared to an Arwing. Randy's was like their uniforms, black and red in color. Its helmet resembled the head of a jackal and its body was made up of geometrical shapes with thick, blocky, yet streamlined parts. Its form somewhat resembled the humans that piloted them. There was only a real surmountable difference in their size as the suits seemed to hoist the pilot several feet off of the ground on the inside of the structure…

The blue vixen found it odd that the large robotic looking vehicle made only slightly heavy sounding steps. The robot reached to the underside of its left wrist pressing several concealed buttons…

"Something wrong with _Anubis's _Heads-up." Randy's voice came from the thing as its fingers tapped the side of it's head.

Alex thought for a moment. "Really? Checked out yesterday." he asked. "Oh well. Turn around and take a knee. I'll see what I can do."

The large machine turned about and dropped to one knee, when Krystal noticed something about the back of the machine, a large metal object shaped exactly like a sword, alongside a large version of some kind of large automatic rifle…

"I guess it's common where you come from for these things to get up close and personal huh?" Krystal asked. "Exactly what gave humans the idea to make something like these anyhow?"

Alex pressed a sequence of buttons on the back of the machine giving him access to a small panel where he started working on the vehicle's delicate electrical system, looking for its particular problem…

"Well…" the mechanic replied. "The shield tech on these things is about…ten, maybe fifteen times the power of the systems currently used in your Arwings…so blaster fire and bullets don't do much to them. So all Keizer units come equipped for close quarters combat. In the case of the _Anubis _here…" he said patting the robot's back. "…that would be this big ass sword. Originally, the Keizer was just a pipe dream, a lot of fans of certain frequently-watched television shows on Old Earth seemed to develop dreams of creating the robots and massive fighting machines they saw on their favorite shows. Eventually, this gave birth to a unit known as the _Leviathan_. It was the world's first walking battle tank. Thanks to its powerful legs, it was able to carry a payload much larger than any other tank in creation, as well as weapons that were only designed for the unit itself. It was a boon to the military and was quickly produced in number; only 20 Leviathans were ever made before the modern age began to call for something more lightweight and more maneuverable…" he pointed out as he checked over _Anubis's_ systems. "…5 years of underground development later in a small country called Tasmania, a superpower known as the United States produced one of the biggest breakthroughs in aerodynamic fighting machines in history; the Tz-001 a.k.a. _Lyger_. Nobody had ever seen anything like it before. It was a flight-capable unit, unlike the _Leviathan_, with onboard weaponry and the ability to perfectly mimic human movement," he said. "Generation after generation the units became smaller, faster, and more lethal, until we finally came to this beautiful machine right here…" he ended patting the side of the machine he was working on."

"Just how fast are those things?" Mika asked.

Alex kept to his work. "Mach 4…Mach 7 if you pushed it hard enough. Unless you were talking about the bigger units then…well not so fast."

"How big?" Krystal asked.

Alex had to think for a minute. "Let's see…biggest unit in production right now is the _Prometheus Titan-101_. It's about ten stories tall and houses five pilots; one to pilot the unit, and the other four to maintain it under heavy use."

"Wow…so how many different units are there?"

"Five classifications…" Alex replied pausing for a moment. "How's that?" he asked Randy.

The suit shook its head. "Still nothing."

"Hang on I'll try one more thing…if all else goes wrong you may have to borrow _Thanatos_ from Jeff." He paused again for a moment. "Ah, Nevermind. I found your problem…how's that?" he asked.

The suit moved its head about a bit. "Better…" he replied walking away.

"Shouldn't he at least thank you?" Mika asked Alex.

Alex chuckled. "Nope…that's just Randy. He pretty much keeps to himself most of the time. To tell you the truth, none of us really know that much about him…just that he's a good guy and has a pretty fucked up life." Alex took a moment to look at his watch. "Well enough of this get'n to know me shit…we've got somewhere we need to be don't we?"

Everyone took little time in getting into the vehicles. Surprisingly, Alex was the first one out of the docking bay. His Keizer was much more intimidating looking than Randy's, it's helmet in the shape of a grimacing demon with a spiraling horn on either side of it's head. At first Krystal was curious about how these things flew, until she noted that two surfaces rose from it's back that were clearly the vehicle's thrusters. When taking off, the Keizers seemed to stand upright, but as they took a laying position, their speed picked up at an incredible rate. The others left the Nemesis one at a time until only two were left, Randy's Keizer and Krystal's Arwing…

"You know this could be a trap…" the human's voice came through on her com system.

"Yeah…do me a favor and keep an eye out," Krystal replied.

Randy sighed. "You're the captain."

Krystal's Arwing suddenly launched, and she found _Anubis_ right on her tail. The humans hadn't been kidding in saying that these robot things were fast. They moved a lot like Arwings, they just had arms and legs, and were in most cases a bit slower, but possibly more maneuverable with their smaller size. However, as they flew out toward the large planet, Krystal's HUD flashed red with a warning of one of her fellow ships being hit…

"EVASIVE MANEUVERS!!" she shouted after opening a channel with all other ships.

"THEY FUCK'N CAME OUT OF NOWHERE!!" Creed shouted. "I CAN'T SEE MIKA!!"

Krystal's Arwing shot toward the others where she found several Arwings being tailed by small black vehicles. They had a V shape, and were a metallic black color. They were much too small to be actual ships, they were drones. Krystal shot toward two that were riding Creed's thrusters, tearing them apart with the small ship's lasers. It was as the smoke cleared from the silent destruction of the two tiny ships that Krsytal noticed something; it was Mika's Arwing, which was becoming little more than a burning ball of flames in the planet's atmosphere…

"Shit!!! MIKA!!!" she yelled into her com system. "My telepathy isn't working. She must be unconscious."

"I'm on it…" a voice called through the com channel.

"Randy?" Alex asked. "What the hell are you doing? You know these things aren't meant for reentry at that speed…"

"Never leave a man behind remember?" Randy replied. "You all hold those drones off. I can handle this myself."

Randy's Keizer rattled his bones, shaking violently as the planet's atmosphere began to heat up the outside of his vehicle. He was happy to see clear skies when he broke into the planet's stratosphere and shot toward the falling Arwing as fast as he could. Luckily the ship's emergency reentry systems activated, keeping the ship perfectly level through the atmosphere. He managed to catch up to the falling object and landed on top of the cockpit. He could see that she'd taken a surprise hit to the rear of her hull, which had caused her to hit her head pretty hard. Randy looked behind him to see that though it was a ways off, the planet was closing in on him fast. He knew that his Keizer could never slow the Arwing down fast enough to keep it from being destroyed on impact, and Mika was out cold and couldn't activate the ship's escape pod. In a quick reaction, Randy reached for his Keizer's large sword and sliced the cockpit and nose of the ship away from its fuselage, allowing the tail end of the ship to begin falling out of control as he latched onto the part still carrying the unconscious animal. Unfortunately the extra weight was more than he'd still hoped for and they violently impacted the ocean…

Krsytal looked on in fear as her HUD showed no signs from Mika's ship. Its systems were completely offline, which meant that it had been destroyed. The drones had been destroyed as well, but she still had a fallen teammate to worry about…

"Randy?" she called through her com system, unfortunately receiving only static on her end. "Randy is Mika alright? Can you hear me at all?"

"They'll be fine…" Alex assured her. "Probably knocked out his communicator. The ones in our units are pretty sensitive. All we can do right now is hope for the best."

"You're right…" Krystal replied. "Is everyone else okay? Status check…"

"I'm okay…" Silver replied.

"My shields are a bit fucked but, I'll live," Creed followed.

"It's been a while. I've taken some damage, but nothing serious…" Vixy's voice called in.

"Alex you know what those things were?" Krystal asked. "They were fast."

"Omni cybertech drones…" Alex replied. "Pretty advanced shit. Usually they only use 'em as scouts."

"Could there be others?" Vixy asked.

"No…" Alex replied. "Once a cyber-drone is offed, it sends out a distress signal to any others in the area. We'd be swarmed by now if there were."

"That's good…" Krystal replied. "But it looks like we've got to split up. Alex, you come with me to look for Randy and Mika. Creed, Silver, and Vixy, head toward that facility, but don't go inside. Wait for us to come back."

**~//~**

The white minx couldn't determine where she was at the moment. Her head was pounding horribly, and there was a hideous pain in her right arm. She tried to open her eyes only to have her eyelids pull back over them instantly against the light…

"You okay?" a wavering but familiar voice asked.

Mika tried to focus on the person, but she couldn't make anything out around her. "I–-I think so. What happened?"

"You were hit by an Omni cyber-drone," the person said. "Looks like you hit your head on your command console. Got a pretty bad concussion. Gravitational pull of the planet pulled you in. Your Arwing's history, but at least I managed to get you out before it hit," the person assured her. "Looks like we're stuck here until the others find us though."

"Yeah well don't get any funny ideas," Mika said lying her head back down.

The person with her scoffed out loud. "Don't flatter yourself. I draw the line at bestiality kid," he said. "Just get some rest the others should be able to find us soon enough."

**~//~**

Krystal and Alex landed in a large open field. Most of Macbeth was either covered by dry, rocky plains or lush, thick jungle, with a few scattered desert areas. Krystal was just happy that they put down in an open glade in the middle of a large jungle. She was amazed at the beauty of the green area around her. It looked so much like Cerinia. It was as she stood there that the helmet of Alex's suit opened, folding back until it seemed to retreat into the suit itself…

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"No, it's nothing…" the cerulean vixen replied. "This place just reminds me of home, that's all," she said. "Can that suit get a lock on Randy's?"

"Yeah…" Alex replied. "About…mile and a half that way," he said pointing north.

Without another word, the two headed out north. There was nothing but jungle, and the sounds of several wild animals seemed to give off a certain peaceful ambiance. Alex seemed to take everything in, trying his hardest not to miss a sound…

"What's the matter?" Krystal asked. "Never seen a jungle before?"

Alex sighed. "Nope. First time for me," he said as they moved through the trees. "3rd Earth isn't really that much like the real thing…it's only really inhabitable because of the Dome City there. The place is really kinda dull. The colonization process is going a lot slower than we'd originally planned. Hell, in my entire life I've only ever seen one real tree."

"Really?" Krystal asked. "That's horrible."

"Yeah, we fucked up on Earth pretty bad," Alex agreed. "We tried our hardest to save what part of it we could but……it was just too late. Yggdrasil ended up being the only part of Earth humans managed to save. And right now it's the biggest tree every recorded, even on Earth, though I'm sure there are bigger ones somewhere out there."

"Wow…how big is this I-I-ig-dr-a-sill?" Krystal asked struggling with the last word.

"Sorry, it's pronounced Ig-dra-sil…"Alex chuckled. "And it's about 400 feet tall, equivalent to a 40 story building. Its name came from an old language that was lost when Earth was destroyed called Norse. The name Yggdrasil was used to describe a massive tree called the World Tree. It was supposedly a massive ashwood tree that all these people saw as a holy icon a long time ago."

Krystal gazed at the jungle floor as she walked beside the armored human. "It's…sad. Everyone should have the opportunity to see places like this. I couldn't imagine my life without being around nature at some point."

"Uh oh…" Alex suddenly said as he stopped. "Look."

Krystal looked in the direction the human pointed only to see a metallic object on the ground, which she rushed over to and picked up. It was a round device with a small red light at its center…

"What's this?" She asked. "It looks like a triangulation relay for a transmitter signal."

"It is…" he said looking around. "That belongs to Randy's unit…without that his distress signal can't triangulate any coordinates correctly," Alex said. "It must still be giving off a signal. That's what my suit's picking up on."

"What does that mean?" the vixen asked handing the piece to Alex.

"It means that Randy and Mika could be anywhere on this planet…and we can't locate them."

**~//~**

…**Somewhere in a far off place…**

After stealing a ship from the sharpclaw, Fox was dead set on getting away from the Lylat system. He had no idea where he was, but he was on a planet he had never seen or heard of before. He knew that it was somewhere at least near the Stygian system, but other than that, he didn't care. He looked about at an alien landscape. There was a forest of some kind in the far off distance, and the land was barren, covered in nothing but stone and sand, and sharp jagged cliffs. He looked back to the smoking remains of the ship he'd stolen. Destroying it was the only way of making certain that he couldn't get off of the planet. He sighed as a tear rolled down his face while he looked to the disgustingly orange-colored clouds above him. As a light rain began to pour down on top of him, his memories began to take him over. He looked to his paws as he stood there. The rain would never wash away the blood he saw. It was the blood of countless innocent lives that he'd ended for no other apparent reason than to see them bleed. He feared closing his eyes, for every moment he did so he could see their faces, stricken with the fear of death. He could still feel their blood flowing over his body as clearly as he felt the rain on his fur now. His memories had flooded back to him while leaving Sauria. Lia herself had convinced him that he'd done something terrible, but until his mind played back the scenes of bloodshed, he never truly believed it for himself. Not until did the scenes play back in his mind like some sort of horrible movie, he could see every Cerinian from the village running in fear, scattering into the woods while the few brave souls that stayed behind to fight him off were torn apart. He was forced to relive the sensations of chasing them down; young kits that had lost their footing and fallen, the parents that had tried defending their young, and even the old that were far too withered with age to run from the savage animal. He watched as he recalled what had happened to Julius, not wanting to believe that the animal most likely bled to death from the forcefully removed arm that had tried so hard to hold on to his Cerinian mate as she was torn from his arms and savagely murdered. The more he was forced to watch, the more he wished Arlex had killed him. The animal he'd seen in his mind, Adreus, had mentioned nothing of this. His mind was wracked with the pain of knowing, knowing that his paws had ended so many lives he'd wanted to protect, even the lives of children who'd had no chance of fighting back for themselves. As the visions continued, his knees grew weak, forcing him to the cold, muddy ground. The rain that washed through his fur hid his tears from all but himself as he looked back to the heavens…

His eyes eventually wandered to the area around him. They were all standing there, surrounding him. Animals of all kinds swarmed around him, their accusing eyes seemingly burning straight to his soul. Their mauled and mangled bodies seemed to simply stand there as they allowed him to see the pain and cruelty he'd caused, the lives that he'd ended. It was as he forced himself to look at them that his eyes met the apparition of a young Cerinian girl. She must have been a teenager with many years ahead of her. She looked so much like Krystal. Her gaze however was not as accusing as it was questioning. As if to ask, why did you do this? What did we ever do to you? Did I deserve this? Fox's heart felt as though its shattered remains had pierced his chest in every conceivable way. He wanted nothing more than to make the self-loathing pain stop. With a sudden growl of hatred for his own sinister existence, Fox tore his claws into his chest, violently digging away large chunks of flesh and fur, screaming in agony, not of the physical pain he was putting himself through, but the mental and emotional agony that he felt from their crushing gazes. How many old? How many children? How many innocent lives now bore down on his heart, which he tried to desperately to offer to them? Yet no matter how deeply he dug his claws, no matter how much flesh he stripped from bone, it was all replaced almost as soon as it was removed….he wasn't strong enough, not even to give his own life in accordance to his own sins…

"I'M SORRY!!" he screamed to the images of his victims as the tears that rushed down his face seemed to even overpower the torrential rains that cascaded through his fur. "I'M SORRY–-I'M SORRY–-I'm sorry….." His cries were eventually overcome by his powerful sobs as his body collapsed to the muddy ground, able to do nothing but shed what tears he could and apologize, hoping that at least some of them would give him the forgiveness he so desperately needed……

**~//~**

…**Macbeth…**

Randy stretched his back as he stood up. Tt'd been far too long since he had crashed into the planet. He was happy that they were near a beach, but as far as he knew, the beach they were at could have been anywhere on the alien rock. He wondered why the others hadn't come for them until he began to look over his suit's systems, finding that the important tracking system was missing a piece…

"Well this could be a lot worse," he half whispered to himself.

The human walked calmly over to the white furred minx that still lay in the sand where he'd left her. "Hey…" he called, shaking her. "Wake up…"

"Ummm…" Mika moaned in a bit of pain. "What, are they here yet?"

"No, my suit lost an integral part of its tracking system while we were falling. Have you ever been to this planet?" Randy replied.

"Only once, but I was only 12 so I don't remember any of it. Why?"

Randy sighed. "Cuz we're lost. Can you walk yet?"

The minx closed her eyes as she sat up, placing her paw on her forehead and then laid back down against the side of a nearby log. "No, it hurts just trying to sit up."

Randy looked to the sky with a questioning look before shrugging his shoulders. "Why?" he seemed to ask no one in particular under his breath.

He looked to Mika for a moment only to notice something was off about the animal's white fur. His eyes went wide as he seemed to freeze. Mika noticed him staring at a particular region of her chest…

"They're called tits…I'm sure you've seen 'em before," she remarked.

"Don't……fuck'n……move," Randy replied pausing between the words.

Mika looked at the human oddly. "What?"

"Don't move your head, but look at your chest."

The minx humored the human only to have her breathing instantly increase rapidly while her eyes went back to Randy. There was a small set of three red dots between her breasts in the shape of a triangle produced from somewhere in the small forest not far in front of them…

"R-r-randy…I-I I'm scared," she said. "What do I do?"

Randy looked to the forest. "Just calm down. He's not gonna shoot…or he would've already done it," he said searching through the woods. "What're you waiting for!?" he called out. "If you're gonna shoot her, shoot her. She's just slowing me down."

"Don't rightly see any fun in that!" a voice shouted from the woods. "Not much sport in injured pray boy-o," the voice added as the laser sight moved to the human's face. "So…how's about I put one in you instead?"

A cocky grin etched its way across Randy's face as his hand rested on the sword strapped to his belt. "You're more than welcome to try! All you can really do is fire and pray to whatever god it is you pray to that you don't miss. Cuz you won't get a second shot off…that I promise you…Boy-o!"

**~//~**

As Krsytal and Alex rejoined the others, there was a loud sound in the far off distance. It was barely audible, but they could all tell that it was some sort of gunshot as a mass of birds took flight out of the trees from the far off woods. Everyone's attention shifted to the forest for a moment before they turned to get a look at the facility ahead of them…

"Now what?" Alex asked.

Krsytal sighed. "Silver, go check it out."

"Right…" Silver replied vanishing into the trees.

As Krystal turned her attention the facility however, she noticed an unsure look on Creed's face…

"What's wrong Creed?" she asked.

"I…don't know. Something's just not right," he replied. "We ran into those drones, but there isn't anyone here. I don't like it."

"Yeah, neither do I," Alex added.

Krystal looked to the two of them. "Right, then lets just get this done so we can get the hell out of here."

* * *

**Author Notes:**_ Thanks again to Crafty Lefty for the great editing job, and thanks again to everyone that's followed the story. Chapter 6 will hopefully come along a bit quicker than this chapter did. R&R and hope you enjoy the chapter. Thanks again all for the tons of support..._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox  
_


	6. Chapter 6

**Author Notes:** _Okay here's chappie six. I'm happy I got out another chapter. I'm still trying to balance out work and my writing, so until I get a routine set up, updates may seem a bit sporadic. Anyhow thanks for the tons of support on the whole COF Project...you're support is most endearing. Thanks again to Crafty Lefty, for being a damned good editor. Dont' forget to R&R and We'll hopefully have the next chapter up within a week or so...I hope..._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox_

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**……****Chapter 6……**

Krystal's small group made its way along a trail leading to the large facility before them. Creed for the most part seemed to be doing better than Krystal had given him credit for. Actually, they'd been on the planet for some time and so far he'd not faltered or had any signs of another attack. Unfortunately as they an old fenced perimeter of the building, Creed staggered a bit to one side and stopped, leaning up against a large metal storage container. The group stopped a short ways ahead of him when Vixy headed back to him…

"Creed?" she asked. "You okay dear?"

The crimson furred vulpine grimaced a bit. "Yeah…" he replied coughing into his fist. "…just a little winded. I think I may be getting outta shape or something."

Vixy placed her paw under Creed's chin forcing him to look her in they eyes. "You know, you don't have to try so hard…" She was cut off in mid-sentence by the large vulpine's arm which quickly swung around in front of her face, seemingly jolting inward from an unseen impact…

Creed suddenly pulled the pale furred vixen toward him while digging his claws into the side of the metal container. As he did so something rang off of his arm as he peeled a large portion of the metal structure toward them, acting like some sort of shield…

"SNIPER!" he yelled. "GET TO COVER!"

Vixy took a moment before smiling at the large vulpine. "See…you can still help," she said giving his bloody paw a worried look. "Creed, you're bleeding."

"Don't worry about it…" he said wiping his paw on the metal surface. "…it's my condition, the bullet only hit my arm."

"Did you at least see him?"

"Only the glare off the barrel of his rifle, and only for a split second," Creed replied. "Whoever he is…this guy knows what he's doing. He's got one hell of a rifle. Fuck'n thing felt like it'd tear my arm off."

Creed took a momentary peek past the edge of the shield he'd created only to retract his head from a mess of sparks that shot from a bullet's impact against the metal surface…

"Krystal's found some cover behind an old bulldozer a ways off to our left," he said. "The human looks like he took cover behind a pretty big stack of metal oil drums off to the right. At least he knew to split up."

"_Creed, are you two alright?" Krystal's voice rang into Creed's skull._

"_We're fine," Creed replied. "He was aiming for Mrs. M, but only got my arm. How are you doing?"_

"_Fine, I guess…bastard took a piece outta my right ear though," she said. "Also managed to get Alex's right hand, but who the hell is that fast with any kind of rifle?"_

"_Beats me…" Creed replied again. "…I've never heard of anyone moving that fast with a fucking rifle in my life…hang on…"_ Creed took a moment to dig into the wound that the shell had caused in his false flesh of his arm and removed a piece of metal. _"It's definitely fifty cal. That's good news; they never have a large enough mag in 'em."_

Creed handed the bullet to Vixy. "Wadda you think…Vector?"

Vixy studied the bullet. "No mistaking it. That makes running away out of the question. That thing can fire further than we can run, but it also means he's got a limit on his ammo. The 206 only has an 8 shot magazine."

"_Listen Krystal, don't fucking move from that spot…fucker can see anything happening in this entire area from up there,"_ he thought to the blue vixen. _"I'm not sure who the fuck this asshole is, but he's good…"_

"_Well we can't just sit here on our fucking thumbs!"_ Krystal's voice shot through his skull.

Creed thought for a moment. _"Well…I wouldn't exactly call this thinking under pressure. I just hope Mika and that other human guy aren't in this kind of piss-poor situation."_

*******

There was a long moment of silence as Randy simply stood by waiting for the unseen gunman to make a move. Mika just sat there, as there was little else that she could do in her state. She wondered how the human could be so cocky when there was a laser sight dotting his face. He simply stood there staring into the forest with his hand still leaning on the hilt of his sword. It was as Mika wondered what the human could possibly be thinking that she noticed his free hand had produced a small object. It had several axe shaped blades all fixated in a triangle pattern. It was an odd weapon, but then again, she thought he was pretty much crazy using a sword in this age in the first place. As she studied his movements, simply spinning the bladed object about his fingers, a loud shot pierced the air and Randy dropped down into a spin, hurling the strange axe bladed object into the thicket. As soon as the weapon vanished into the trees, there was an ear-shattering scream of pain. The human took a moment before walking into the woods following the trajectory of his thrown weapon only to return with what appeared to be a bloody paw in his hand…

"Well, he won't be shooting at anyone for a while," he said tossing the appendage to the side.

"What is with you and blades?" Mika asked.

Randy chuckled. "When I was little I used to see all these movies of men with swords. Their movements were always so fluid and amazing, almost like they were dancing. So one day I decided to start training, like a hobby at first, but then I met this one man in the military. He told me, 'The blade is a much more sophisticated weapon than it's given credit for.' If two men walked onto a field each with a blade in their hand, the one with the greater skill walks away. With guns……it's just who can pull a trigger faster," he said finding a seat on the log she leaned against. "I understand that in the modern day you can't really survive on blades alone, so I'll use a gun when necessary…but I train myself in the hopes that someday I'll no longer need one."

Mika looked confusedly at the human. "Humans are so fuck'n weird."

Randy scoffed. "Speak for yourself, furball."

Randy instantly shot about as the two heard something move through the trees, before a young, silver furred fox landed in the sand…

"I heard a gunshot. What happened?"

"It's nothing Silver…" Mika replied. "I'm just glad you found us."

"I wouldn't have if it weren't for that gun going off…" the young vulpine said. "…this forest is huge…I really like it here."

Randy was amazed at how quickly and silently Silver had moved up until that last moment before he landed near them. It was as he stood there thinking about it that Mika noticed a slight grin on the human's face.

"What're you so happy about?"

Randy looked to the minx before walking off toward his Keizer. "I kinda like this kid," he said. "Silver right?"

"Y-yeah."

"I'll remember that…" he replied climbing into the large machine.

As the vehicle seemed to come to life it slowly moved over to Mika. "Can you walk or do you need me to carry you?"

"I can manage…" the minx replied. "…after all, I'm just slowing you down right?"

Silver walked over to the white minx. "Are you okay?" he asked noticing a grimace of pain on her face.

"No…" she replied. "My ribs are still pretty messed up, and my head's all fuzzy…"

The visor of Randy's Keizer lifted. "Something ain't right…we need to hurry."

Silver smiled a bit. "Can I help you?"

"No…" the pale furred minx replied. "…as much as I hate to say it, Randy's right. That machine he's riding will have an easier time carting me around than you will."

*******

Creed and the others still tried their hardest to think of a solution to their problem. The sniper on the tower was quick, a dead shot, and worst of all…incredibly patient. Creed thought about what he'd normally do in such a situation. He recoiled at the harsh sound of another silenced shot slamming into the side of the shield he'd made for himself and Vixy. He knew where they were hiding and he was toying with them. So far Creed has seen a shot hit the dirt beside them and heard the one that just hit his shield, the barrels near Alex, and the dozer by Krystal…the fucker was actually enjoying himself letting them know that he was well aware of where they were hiding and that given one moment of open exposure, could kill any one of them. It was as he thought about the cocky, rash actions of the gunman that Creed smiled a bit…

"_Krystal…I got a plan,"_ he thought to himself knowing that the blue-furred mind reader was still connected with everyone of her teammates.

"_What is it? We've been sitting her for over twenty minutes…"_

"_How long can you hold up one of those shields of yours?"_

Krystal was confused. _"As long as I have to, and as long as there's not an abundance of force against it."_

"_Think you could hold it up against a few bullets?"_

"_You know I can, you've seen me do it before. It's assault weapons that do a number on my mind."_

"_Then shield me…let's see what happens when this guy can't hit a target that's standing still,"_ Creed replied. _"And get the human ready. If the sniper doesn't panic when his shots have no effect, it'll at least draw attention away from him and he can get up there and take the fucker out."_

"_I hope you know what you're doing…"_ Krystal replied, taking a few deep breaths to prepare herself to absorb the impact of the shells. _"Okay, you're good. Go whenever you're ready."_

Creed nodded to Vixy who nodded back. "Keep an eye on her and make sure she stays out of harms way…"

"She's my daughter-in-law, of course I will." Vixy smiled.

Creed took a deep breath. "I hope this works," he said. "I don't look forward to being hit by one of those bullets. That last one felt like it was going to rip my Neural Link clean off." He chuckled.

Creed stepped out into the middle of the open, clearly in sight of their sniper with his arms outstretched. This obviously caught the gunman off guard as he seemed to refrain from firing immediately…

"WHAT'S THE MATTER GUNMAN!?!" Creed yelled. "TOO HARD A TARGET FOR YA!?! MAYBE I SHOULD JUST LAY DOWN, MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER FOR YA!!!"

There wasn't a sound, and yet something impacted an invisible blue wall in front of the massive crimson furred vulpine, causing the shield to become visible for a split second. There was another long pause as the gunman clearly was confused about what had just happened. The bullet was on mark and clearly should have taken Creed's head off, but the animal still stood there mocking him. This time three separate rounds seemed to impact the shield all at once, one at waist level, one that would had stricken the vulpine in his already damaged heart, and another that was clearly meant for his head. A slight sound echoed over the area, a frustrated scream before round after round ricocheted off the blue barrier in front of Creed before another sound rose from the tower off in the distance…

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK FUCK!!!!!" the voice seemed to grow in intensity as the animal's enraged rant carried on.

On the tower, the mysterious gunman turned to a small device, pressing a small button. "Let's see you deal with this smart ass. I'll remember you…just you wait," he said before turning to a small communicator. "Jack, get your shit together. We're out of here."

"Speak for yourself!" A voice shot back through the small device. "That fuck'n hairless ape took my fuck'n paw off!"

"Stop your bitch'n and get to the fuck'n ship! We'll worry about that later. We need a better plan! Just let that thing they gave us deal with the rest of this!"

Creed thought for a moment. He hadn't expected his plan to work out nearly as well as it had. Something about the way the shooter gave up after being so frustrated didn't sit right. What he saw next caused the large fox's heart to nearly leap out of his chest as a familiar looking machine lurched from seemingly nowhere, driving a heavy fist into the ground where Creed had stood before diving to one side. The thing was the exact same as the humans' Keizers, but it wasn't nearly as elaborate in it's design, as Jeff's teams' units all seemed to be designed in certain ways; a jackle, a demon, etc. This one seemed a slight bit bigger than the ones the humans piloted, but nevertheless was still moving with the speed he was told to expect from the machines. Unfortunately for Creed however, he still misjudged just how nimble the small fighting machines were. A quick jolt from the thing's powerful pneumatic arm smashed a life threateningly powerful backhand into the surface of Krystal's shield. The blue vixen let out a yelp of pain as blood rushed from her nose, the impact driving the vixen to her knees. Vixy noticed the poor animal's pain and quickly rushed to her side as the gunman seemed to have retreated…

"Krystal, are you alright?" she asked helping the vixen to her feet.

"I…can't take…much more…"

Alex noticed that Creed was dodging several attack from the thing. "Creed! Get your ass outta there that thing's gonna kill you!" the human yelled.

However, it was too little too late. After rolling out of the way of an attack from the machine, Creed found the thing driving its interlaced hands down on top of him. The impact was enough to kick up a large cloud of dust as a burst of blue light erupted from Krystal's destroyed shield. The young Cerinian let out a cry of pain before her body finally collapsed to the ground…

"Is she gonna be okay?!" Alex yelled to Vixy.

"Yes…she's just unconscious."

Alex quickly looked back to Creed's position. He could hardly believe his eyes as he saw that Creed was still under the thing's arms holding them up from crushing him under a tremendous amount of force…

"You gotta be fuck'n kidding me," he said to himself.

Alex had worked with the machines all his life, and was aware of how much force even the smallest unit could output. It seemed impossible that something of flesh and blood could hold back the amount of force that Creed was managing right now. As Creed kept fighting back against the force that threatened to crush him, he felt a burning pain in his chest. It wasn't like the other pains, this one was much worse making his vision blur and his head pound. He growled out loud pressing back against the machine's arms when a stream of blood fell from his muzzle. Creed ignored the pain the best he could and with what seemed like the last ounce of strength he could possibly muster, the vulpine forced the machine's arms back with one forceful push that sent the thing toppling to its back. Krystal shook her head as Vixy finally managed to wake the poor animal up. Her blurred sight seemed to fluctuate in and out of focus until she could see Creed hunched over looking to the machine he'd just knocked over. He was breathing erratically, and as she watched on, the large vulpine opened his mouth only to have a large spat of blood fall to the sand below him. She tried her hardest to call out to him but found that her voice was lost when Creed's legs seemed to give way as he fell to his back. The tears burned at the corners of her eyes as Creed's head turned to look at them with a huge bloody smile spread across his face as his eyes finally fell shut. Krystal quickly turned her head as the large machine stood raising its foot over Creed's head, only to have an odd humming sound catch her attention. It sounded like the engines from and Arwing at full thrust. Suddenly, another Keizer burst from the trees flying just over the ground at a high rate of speed, colliding with the other sending the two of them rolling through the sand. The two machines rolled over the sand and into one of the large structures of the facility, plowing a massive hole in the building that the two disappeared through. It was at that moment that Krystal's communicator sounded off which she quickly answered…

"Krystal!!" Jane's voice shouted over the device. "We've got a mess of problems!"

"What is it Jane?" the blue vixen asked.

"This whole thing was just a distraction…" the young cheetah said. "…Corneria, Kew, and Aquas were all hit by Omni just about an hour ago. Their forces were so much that there was no other choice but to surrender…and that's not the worst part of it…apparently that message that we got from Sauria was Lia." There was a long pause as the feline's voice seemed to trail off. " She said Fox was there…Krystal, he killed everyone…the Cerinians, they're all dead."

Krystal's mind froze. The fact that Corneria and the other two planets had been taken by Omni seemed insignificant compared to the thought that her Fox could possibly be responsible for what Lia was claiming. As tears began to form in the vixen's eyes, she shook her head. There was no way, she wouldn't believe it, and now of all times was hardly the time to even think of such a thing. She was still battling with herself whether or not to believe that it had been Fox that attacked all those people in the hospital on Corneira, so this was simply something she was not willing to accept or sit idly by and listen to……

"Fox would never do something like that!" she finally yelled.

"Krystal!!" Vixy shouted, "I hardly think this is the proper time for that!!"

Randy's Keizer suddenly flew from the building sliding on its back through the sand when the unknown one rushed toward him using its boosters to gain more speed, which only helped matters. Randy rolled to one side slamming his entire Keizer into the other's legs, causing it to barrel head over heels into another building…

"YOU ALL GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!!" he yelled. "I CAN HANDLE THIS PIECE OF SHIT MYSELF!!"

Soon enough Silver appeared, helping an injured minx as he did so…

"Vixy take Mika…" Krystal said. "Alex, you and Silver get Creed out of here. He's heavy as hell."

It was as Krystal and the others headed out of the area that the mysterious Keizer flew through the air, plowing through the large machine that Krystal had hidden behind. As the machine stood up, Randy reached for the large sword on his Keizer's back. It was nothing like the sword he normally used. This one was much larger and had a double-edged blade. He quickly twisted the handle of the weapon causing the blade to extend outward until the weapon was nearly the size of his Keizer itself…

"Let's see what you look like inside that tin can."

Noting the weapon that Randy had drawn, his opponent held up its fists causing a large triangular blade to jut out from each of its wrists. They were long blades nearly the length of the machine's forearms. Randy took note of the thing's weaponry and quickly rushed forward swiping his large blade toward his opponent's head, which met with its wrist blades with a resounding impact that seemed to shake both units to their cores. It was as they remained locked in this position that the strange Keizer spun knocking away Randy's sword and driving its heavy armored foot into his unit's midsection. As Randy recovered, the stranger rushed at him again, but in an instant, Randy twisted the handle of his weapon again causing it to separate into two completely individual blades. He managed to parry the attack that aimed for his unit's chest, spinning around his opponent with a reversed grip on one of his blades, driving it into the machine's back, making the blade protrude from its chest. As soon as Randy's blade was withdrawn however, the machine quickly turned about swiping its right blade at his face. The tip narrowly grazed the visor of Randy's helmet before his own right blade severed the machine's left arm…again, there should have been blood, as his opponent's arm would have been encased by the unit's arm. After dodging a blow from the machine, Randy finally drove his swords into its chest, quickly tearing them in opposite directions, one toward its head and the other straight down, causing the two halves of the machine to fall to the ground. Small arches of electricity hissed from the severed circuits and electrical components. Randy assembled his weapon back to its original state before placing it on his back. He then looked to the destroyed unit…

"Autonomous?" He wondered as there was no sign of a pilot ever being inside. "Alex and the guys are gonna want to hear about this."

It was only about twenty minutes later before everyone found themselves in the Nemesis docking bay, where Alex was having a hard time with what he was hearing…

"You sure about that?"

Randy looked a bit irritated. "You think I'd lie about something like that? There was no pilot in that unit. It was fully automated."

"Well we'll talk this over with Jeff whenever he's done in the sick bay…that Creed guy looked pretty bad," Alex said.

*******

The large vulpine lay on a large metal table. For safety's sake Krystal wouldn't allow Jane into the room at the time. Jeff seemed to know a lot about what he was doing, apparently he knew his way about a medic's table. He looked over several different x-rays of Creed's body before looking back to him with an uncertain sigh…

"So…?" Krystal asked.

"Well…" Jeff replied. "…I need to do some more tests and get some blood work done. The x-rays I took show some hardcore damage to his lungs, even more so than his heart. His symptoms are widely consistent with a disease back on Earth, an incredibly rare condition called Sigma. His current stage seems to be Sigma-3. It's a pretty freaking painful condition actually. It actually attacks and destroys organ tissues. In his case it seems to be affecting his lungs more than anything…"

"How many stages does this…Sigma have?" Krystal asked.

Jeff removed his glasses, rubbing his temples as he sat down. "If I remember my studies correctly, since this disease died out a log time ago…or so we thought, Sigma has between 4 and 5 stages. The first sign isn't that clear and it can range from a number of different things from vomiting to a weakened immune system. Second is usually insomnia. The disease purposely keeps the host from sleep, making it harder for your system to fight off the disease. Third, like he's been displaying, can be lack of energy, fatigue, lost or impaired vision, internal bleeding, and sometimes violent muscular spasms. At stage four you can expect the other symptoms to be worse on top of random fainting spells. At stage five, you see comas and death." Jeff pointed out, "He seems to be border-lining stage four already. I can't be certain that Sigma is what he has though. It could be a related virus of some kind. I honestly won't know until I get in there and find out. Right now, you're needed on the bridge. You can tell Jane she can come in here now. She can help if she wants, but for the most part, she needs to stay out of my way."

Krystal lowered her head as she headed to the door. "I'll make sure she understands…thank you."

Krystal felt lost. Her best friend was dying, Fox was completely lost, and Omni seemed to have the upper hand on every member of the Trinity Accord. Her heart felt heavy, like there was no hope of any of them leaving this war alive. She wondered if any of them even had a future anymore, or if she had a hope of ever seeing Fox again. As the cerulean vixen wandered down the halls, the weight of everything began to feel like it could crush her at any moment. How had Fox ever managed to deal with this kind of stress? She'd tried her hardest to keep up the appearance of a strong leader in the face of everything that was happening, but how could she? The one she loved was being blamed for the death of whatever remnants of her people there were, and the only way she could combat that thought was with the sheer fact that she knew in her heart that the Fox she knew and loved would never take an innocent life. As she headed through the dank, empty, lifeless halls of the Nemesis, she felt as though her concepts and grasps on reality were giving way to nothingness. As she reached the doors that lead her to the bridge, she found herself unable to move any further as her tears began to stream down her face. It was too much. There were too many doubts and too many possibilities for her mind or heart to handle. She found herself backing away from the hall until her back met with a cold metal wall, where she slowly slid to a sitting position looking at her violently shaking paws…

It was only a few minutes later that a white furred vixen left the bridge. Vixy had sent word for Krystal several times as she was needed on the bridge, but so far no one had been able to find her. It was as the older vixen stood there that a muffled sound caused her ear to twitch toward a darkened corner of the offset area outside of the bridge. There she found a distraught blue vixen hugging her knees to her chest, hiding her eyes against her knees as choked, silent sobs tugged at her shoulders. The pale furred vulpine sighed a bit as a tear rolled down her face. The sight of the poor animal in her current state made her heart sink…

Krystal recoiled at the vixen's touch, only to look at Vixy with pleading eyes. "Vixy…I don't know what to do anymore…"

Vixy knelt down wrapping her arms around the young vixen. "It's okay dear. Nobody expects you to have all the answers," she said using the back of her paw to wipe her own eyes.

"I feel so lost…" Krystal said between her sobs rubbing her wet eyes on Vixy's shoulder. "…I wish Fox were here." She sniffled. "I miss him."

Vixy tried her hardest to keep her own tears from showing. "I know dear. So do I," she said helping the vixen to her feet. "Come on…let's get you out of this freezing hallway before you catch a cold."

*******

Fox wandered about the desolate landscape that he would call home. There was nothing, barely even anything that he could call food to survive. But if he were to die of starvation, it was little restitution for what he'd done. As he scavenged the landscape however, a loud burst of sound drew the vulpine's attention to the sky where he could see the telltale signs of a ship breaking atmosphere. Fox's eyes seemed to involuntarily blink for a moment before a malicious smile stretched across his face, and the animal disappeared into the landscape…


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Notes:**_ Well, this took longer than we expected but, Crafty has been a bit busy lately, so editing has been a bit hard. Anyhow, I've been working on the next chapter but, i can only hope i get it up and running soon cuz I'm about to relocate and at the moment i don't have the internet at my new place. I'll set it up and hopefully i'll be able to get out the next chapter asap. Anyhow remember to R&R, i hope you enjoy the chapter as i'm trying to make this fic more interesting that CoF was. Until next update Laterz..._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox

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……**Chapter 7……**

A small ship headed toward a desolate location in the midst of the Dan'jas system hung in the small moon's orbit. Its crew had recently stumbled onto an isolated distress frequency. It was odd however, as the frequency only lasted several hours before it finally vanished. They had stayed in orbit for the night in debate on whether or not to even bother, but the captain of the ship's better nature would not allow her to leave anyone stranded on such a small planet. The insides of the small ship were never really decorated, as the vixen in charge of the team didn't like staying away from home for too long all at once. The drab surroundings often made the others crave home too. The team's captain was a light red, nearly pink furred vixen. Black fur covered her paws up to her wrists, with similar patches of black fur that reached from her feet halfway up her shins, as well as a smaller marking on the tips of her ears and tail. The black fur that covered her muzzle stretched up at a singular point between her eyes that vanished perfectly into her long ebony hair. At the moment her only clothing in her small room was a black lace bra and panties as she pulled the tight fitting bottoms of her flight suit up to her thighs. However, she quickly jumped, practically out of her fur as she felt a strong paw grasp the cheek of her buttocks. Jumping up, her back ran into something solid, but she chuckled to herself as a pair of strong gray furred arms wrapped around her shoulders…

"John, we've talked about sneaking up on me like that," she said in a light voice turning to face the rather muscular lupine that held her. "I've kicked you before…remember?"

The gray furred wolf was of a stout build, though a bit shorter than the vixen in his arms. His left ear was half missing from a fight he never really cared to talk about, his shoulder length hair was held behind his head in a small tail, and his forehead was marked with a small white diamond shape. Jade reached around the wolf pulling him closer to her causing him to hiss in pain…

"Hey take it easy babe," he said trying to pull away a bit. "My ribs are still a little tender."

The vixen smiled. "Well that's too bad. Cuz you know the others won't be awake for about another hour or two…" she said swirling a claw through his chest fur.

John chuckled. "Now that you mention it…it really doesn't hurt that much."

By the time their lips met she'd forgotten all about getting dressed. The two weren't given a lot of time together since their engagement, and now seemed like a prime moment for the both of them. Jade took a needed breath as their muzzles parted before smiling back to her lover…

"I was hoping you'd say something like that."

*******

"_Sis?!" The young dark red vixen's voice echoed through an unknown space. "John? Tylor?"_

_The surroundings were all too familiar to the young vulpine; she'd seen this scenario played out over and over, but something told her that it had to be different this time. She prayed silently to herself, hoping that it wouldn't be the same. The landscape was just as it always had been, pitch black with a torrential downpour overhead. She found herself standing in the same place as she always had, just inside the team's ship waiting for something. Suddenly a pair of footsteps caused her ears to perk up until a shadow fox of some kind stepped into the doorway. He was almost as tall as Jade, and his build was much larger than John's. Tears instantly began to cascade down the young animal's face as she watched the horrible thing turn its head towards her. The hideously sadistic smile that scaled across its face was enough to make her entire body freeze in fear. As the animal stepped forward, the young vixen fell back onto her back, forced to simply close her eyes as the animal lumbered toward her…_

***

A loud giggle fell through the hall from Jade's room, "No…John, stop it. I have to get dressed now. John, John no….ahhhhhahahahaha. John put me down!"

The wolf did as he was told, setting the half nude vixen on her feet. It only took her a moment to notice that her bra was gone. She sighed after looking to her bare breasts…

"John, give it back," she said holding out her paw.

John shook his head. "Nuh uh," he said holding his paw to her chest as she tried to reach for the undergarment.

"John, that's enough of this…" she finally said sighing hard as she placed her paws on her hips causing John's eyes to lock onto her breasts as her motion caused them to bounce slightly. "John…if you ever intend to see me naked again, I'd suggest giving it back now."

The wolf pouted like a kid who'd just gotten in trouble and handed the small piece of clothing over. She reached over pulling him close to her caressing the side of his head against her chest. He had no trouble admitting that she was a very dominant female in a relationship, even if she didn't act the way she did now in public. Jade sighed a bit as she stroked the back of his head…

"You know I love you right?" she asked.

John chuckled embracing his vulpine lover. "I don't think we'd be getting married if you didn't," he said. "I still don't think Eva likes it though."

Jade took a moment to think as she began to stroke John's hair. "I know…she thinks that if we get married I won't be around anymore, that I'll abandon her just like dad did."

John finally stood up pulling a bit away from the vixen. "I'll talk to her about it as soon as we get back to the ship."

Jade smiled before drawing herself closer to the lupine for a kiss, when an absolutely horrible scream shot through the halls. The vixen seemed to instantly toss her bra aside pulling on a slightly short white thin-strapped tank top before rushing out of the room with a large pistol in her paws. Rushing down the halls, John's body met with that of a bangle tiger who was knocked into the wall. The medium-build tiger made it to his feet and shook his head…

"Who the fuck was screaming?" he asked.

John rolled his eyes and rushed off down the hall. Clearly if Jade and himself were already in the hall, only one other individual could have possibly screamed. It was as John burst through the younger vixen's bedroom door that he sighed in relief. There on Eva's bed, her sister cradled her crying form, trying her hardest to comfort her. The youngest member of the team had been having strange nightmares for weeks, and fortunately this seemed to be one of the milder cases. John could hear a soft melody coming from Jade as she attempted to soothe the tormented mind. Though John loved hearing the vixen's singing, he slowly moved back into the hall pushing the tiger along the way with him…

*******

A loud roar crashed through the landscape as the small ship pulled in to a safe landing. The land was barren and much like a wasteland with jagged cliffs and rock faces scattered across the land. There was a small, dead looking forest a short ways away composed of trees that were blackened and gnarled by the planet's harsh environment. It only added to the somber atmosphere of the place as the darkness was caressed by the sound of the rain that fell from the putrid sky. As the machine's engines slowed to a stop, the four animal crew stepped out into the rain, each wearing a black body suit and helmet, armed with assault rifles, and their gear marked with an Omni brand logo. Their suits were mounted with several small lighting systems as visibility on the dank little plant was quite low, enough to give one a good start as the disgustingly orange sky was split by random arcs of lightning. One of the animals turned toward the others as the communicator inside his helmet came on…

"Alright, whoever sent that signal is here somewhere…" Jade's voice echoed through the other animals' helmets. "…fan out, give me a four mile perimeter around that crashed ship over there," she said pointing to the destroyed ship that still lay smoldering in the distance. "You see trouble, you know the word…don't open fire until I say so. Understood?"

"Yes Ma'am," the three behind her replied fanning out into the area.

It was after she was left alone and headed toward the small, disturbing looking forest that she felt something odd. It was an eerie feeling, like someone breathing on the back of her neck. The startled animal instantly shot about with her rifle at the ready, only to see that there was nothing there. Jade took a moment to clear her head. Her instincts had never failed her before, but there was something about this place she didn't like…

"Systems check…report," she suddenly said.

"Tylor here, my geo-sync is acting fucking weird. What the hell is this rock made of?" a voice replied.

"This is John, I'm getting the same issue. My geo-sync isn't giving me any coordinates on this place at all, not even and atmospheric readout," another said.

The last voice was that of another female. "Hey guys, you remember that dreams I told you about?" Jade's younger sister said.

"Not this shit again Eva," Tylor's voice said.

There was a stall for a moment. "Come on Eva…" Jade said. "…shit like that just doesn't happen."

"I'm serious Jade…" Eva's voice replied seemingly a bit shaken. "…this place is where it all happened. I've had that dream every night for over a week…I'd know this place anywhere."

Jade thought to herself for a moment before closing all but one channel. "John, go with Eva and make sure she doesn't lose it. I'm a little worried about her."

"No problem babe. She's just a little paranoid, that's all. At least this'll give me time to talk to her," John replied.

"Thanks handsome," she said. "And John, there's something we need to talk about when we get back to the ship…alright?"

"No problem," John replied. "Anything to hear that voice of yours, sexy."

Jade smiled, blushing a bit at the pet name. "Good, then let's get to that crash site and look for any survivors."

Jade walked along the muddy ground she dragged her foot through the wet soil; it upturned into a red muck that resembled blood that had soaked into the sand. She moved about the area making certain that she'd kept her communicator on a one-way frequency that way she could hear her teammates but they could only hear her if she needed them to. A clap of thunder made the animal turn her head to the storming sky. Even through her helmet she could have sworn she'd heard something just a split second before the sound of the thunder drowned it out. She was certain what made her turn her com back on, but something told her that something wasn't right…

"John? Eva? You two there?" she asked.

"Yes…" Eva's voice came back. She sounded as though she'd calmed down a bit since before.

"Tylor what about you?" There was a long pause. "Tylor…Tylor, come in. Tylor this is an order, report now!"

The animal slapped her palm over her helmeted ear as a skull splitting scream shot through her headset. She could recognize Tylor's voice from anywhere…

"Tylor! Tylor what's going on!? Tylor answer me NOW!!!"

His voice was shaken as if he'd been so busy running that he'd not even noticed the voice echoing through his helmet. "There's something out here…" Tylor's voice replied shaking horribly.

"What is it…a survivor?"

Jade could hear Eva's breathing beginning to become panicked. "It's him…I told you guys we shouldn't have come down here…" Her voice trailed off into a dull whisper. "…we're all gonna die."

Jade did her best to ignore the paranoid animal until Tylor's voice came back through the headset. "I'm sorry Eva. I didn't believe you…but whatever this thing is, it moves way too fast to be normal. It tore my rifle right out of my paws and twisted it up like a fucking pretzel…and it was gone before I could get my side arm out." He seemed to swallow pretty hard for a moment. "Jade, I hate to tell you this, but I'm bleeding pretty bad, and I think that……thing…I think it got my leg somehow. I can't run anymore, and thanks to the geo-sync, I don't know where I am. I see trees, but that's just about it."

*******

Tylor stopped for a moment resting against the trunk of one of the large gnarled trees of the thick forest. He growled in pain as his left paw was missing up to about half way up his wrist. He'd held out his longest, hoping that he could make it to the ship before the blood loss could get to him, but he realized that as he leaned against the tree that his vision wouldn't serve him any at all now, and his breathing had become incredibly erratic. He leaned against the tree trying to catch his breath, the blood loss making it difficult to even manage to walk anymore. Luckily the tiger had always been raised to be as tough as possible. He was what Jade called a total fuck off, but he was also a great soldier. He could see the signs of shock in himself; his body was shaking violently, his breathing was becoming even more erratic, and he couldn't focus his sight. There was no time to worry though. Something was after him and it was damn near invisible in this darkness. He managed to calm his breathing after about a minute of resting before he swung around the only weapon he had left, a small pistol, the small blue light cutting through the darkness. He expected that the animal chasing him was somewhere nearby, but the light didn't touch anything…

It seemed as though it had come out of nowhere when it hit him, the impact of something striking him across his helmeted face. Whatever it was had completely shattered a portion of his visor, exposing a portion of his orange-furred face as well as one pristine green eye. He looked around for the attacker but it had stricken him and seemingly vanished before he could even get his sights on it. He was happy enough however that he'd been wearing a helmet, as the impact from whatever attack had hit him forced his body against the tree quite violently. As Tylor stood there debating on whether or not running would do him any good, something fell onto the good half of his visor. The liquid was much thicker and darker than the rain that fell and it wasn't until he wiped it away with his fingers that he noticed it was blood. He looked up and managed to roll away from the creature's falling body as it seemed to have somehow gotten in the tree above him. Acting on instinct alone, Tylor fired his weapon at the animal several times, but looked on in shock and horror as the animal bore a maniacal smile as it approached him slowly. Catching the arm that was still firing the weapon. The bloodthirsty animal placed its foot on Tylor's chest forcing him to the ground. The blood curdling scream that tore from the cat's lungs as he felt the bone and sinew of his arm separate from his body. The limb was carelessly tossed aside. The crazed animal reached down talking Tylor by the collar before flinging his helpless body a yard or so away, slamming his back into a tree with force that threatened to shatter every bone in his body. This time the animal quickly rushed up, pinning Tylor to the tree…

It was not an unfamiliar voice, but rather Eva's that came from the animal's lips. "…Kill us all…"

The death was clearly instantaneous as the vulpine quickly reached around the tiger's head grasping the base of his helmet, giving a sharp pull which tore the poor feline's head from the base of his neck, his body violently quivering from the sudden misfire of all his still-living nerves. The wound prayed a fountain of fresh blood into the air, which the sadistic fox sat under, rolling his head from side to side as he felt the liquid pour through his fur…

*******

Jade thought for a moment. "Eva, get to the ship and prep it for immediate launch. I don't know who or what Tylor saw, but whatever or whoever it is can fucking stay here," she said. "John, take her to the ship…then come find me. I'm about one click east from there. I'll send up a spotlight so you can find me."

"Right, I'll be with ya in five."

Jade thought about what Eva had told them three nights before when she'd woken up in the middle of the night screaming, much like she had this morning. The poor kid had always had strange dreams, sometimes about random shit that nobody believed, but she told the entire team that night that Tylor would be the first to go, though Jade still chose not to believe it. There was something about this place and this situation that sent chills down her spine and tail, causing the fur under her uniform to stand on end. She stayed in place waiting for the warning signs of the ship's launch preparations before she could see the floodlights from the vehicle a short ways across the barren land. She quickly turned on a light that shone a luminescent blue at the end of her rifle and waved it about the air for a moment…

"I got your position," John called. "I'm on my wa…" He suddenly cut himself off. "The fuck is that?"

"John what's going on?"

There was a pause as the animal seemed to be investigating something. "This is……Tylor's…Oh my god."

"What?" Jade asked. "Tylor's what?"

"It's……his paw," he replied as Jade could hear him removing a piece of clothing from something. "I'd know this wedding ring anywhere. Divorced and still refused to take it off. See if you can reach him, he could be in shock wherever he is…"

Jade needed no thought before opening a line to Tylor. "Tylor? Tylor, report…"

There was only static before something came back over the line. It was light at first and broken up before it cleared out. "Tylor? Tylor, report…" It was her voice, but something about it made her senses send a chill of fear through her body.

"Tylor?" she asked a bit confused that the voice sounded a slight bit off. "Tylor are you alright."

The voice seemed to chuckle a bit. "Tylor…tylor…tylor…" it seemed to repeat over and over still using her voice. "Jade…" The same eerie version of Tylor's voice came through the line. "…I'm bleeding pretty bad…Tylor…" The voice said changing back to Jade's voice for that last word. "…I told you guys…" Eva's voice came through this time. "…all gonna die…"

"Who the fuck is this?!" Jade demanded. "Tylor, if this is you I swear to god you'd better hope I never get my paws on you."

"Tylor?" Jade's own voice came from the headset again. "…Sis…" The voice suddenly changed to that of a familiar young vixen. "…all gonna die…"

Jade thought for a moment. "Eva?"

"Sis what was that?" Eva asked in a frightened tone. "Why does it have my voice?"

"Just calm down Eva…" John suddenly said. "It's probably just Tylor playing his stupid ass pranks again."

It was as Jade stood there trying to make sense out of all of this that something bumped into her leg. Still shaken by the situation, she instantly shot her rifle toward whatever had bumped into her. The image of a familiar feline face became lit up by the light of her rifle. The orange fur and black stripes of Tylor's face were frozen in what was clearly the last scream of his life. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. Tyler was one of the best fighters she'd ever met, and yet the animal was beheaded. Something or someone would have had to have gotten really close up to do such a thing…and even then there was the matter of overpowering the animal. Her breathing began to show signs that she was holding back the choked sobs that came from looking at the head of her best friend. She'd known him ever since they were both young, they'd grown up together…he was like a brother to her…

"John…" She swallowed. "That wasn't Tylor on the com…"

John voice shot back. "Really? What makes you say that?"

John could hear her choke back a sob. "Because…I just found his head…"

"What?" John replied. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah…" Jade's shaken voice replied.

John could hear her sniffle under her breath a bit. "Look just get back to the ship…we'll figure this out from there," he said. "I know it's hard, but right now there's nothing we can do for him if he's dead."

Jade took a moment to collect herself. She had to get back to the ship, but she turned around only to have the light of her rifle illuminate a vulpine's hideously sadistic smile. Caught so suddenly, the poor animal stepped back falling to the muddy ground with a shrill scream of fear as she fired several shots toward whatever it was. The shots caused John to only increase the speed at which he ran in her direction. There was a moment in which Jade could hear something walking about, but it was so dark that she couldn't see anything. However, the sounds suddenly stopped and were once again replaced by the sound of the rain falling against the ground. It was as she attempted to stand, she realized that something was wrong. Her right leg then buckled beneath her causing her to fall face first to the dirt. A slight burning sensation at the back of her thigh caused her to reach for the spot only to draw back a paw covered in blood…

"John…I'm hit. I don't know what happened. I didn't even feel it."

"Just stay there and I'll be right there….what the fuck was that?" John's voice came through. "Something just ran by right in front of me."

"John…listen to me. If you see it, don't ask any questions…just kill the damned thing."

*******

John wasn't sure what was going on. He'd been stricken in the face by what felt like some sort of kick, which shattered a good portion of his visor. Suddenly the thing seemed to appear in front of him. Not knowing what else to do, the wolf released a flurry of shots at the animal that pursued him until a bullet made the sound of metal meeting metal, causing a small shot of sparks to fly from about the animal's chest. John was suddenly taken off his feet as the vulpine's body slammed into him, and he soon found the animal perched on his abdomen. John let out a loud scream of pain as the fox slammed his fingertips into the wolf's chest before sharply pulling to both sides, forcing a large spurt of blood to spray the onto fox's face as he forced John's chest open. Then was as a familiar voice came through the wolf's headset…

"John…John?" Her voice seemed slightly distraught. "God dammit John Emmerson, answer me!"

*******

This time the only thing that came through Jade's headset was the sound of static…then a short blast of gunfire. The entire place fell silent, even through the headset that she wore. After a moment Jade could hear the sound of what seemed to be very light breathing. Someone was definitely there. "John? Are you okay?"

"…be right there." His voice finally came back.

She had no idea how long she was waiting there for the wolf to show up, but it didn't take much to realize that something was wrong. John never said anything like, "be right there," without doing just as he said. He was very prompt and hated to be late to anything. Realizing that the wolf wasn't coming, the fear of the worst happening forced the vixen to rush off despite her injured leg. If something were happening to John or her sister, she'd do everything in her power to stop it. It was as she headed toward the still lit up ship that she realized something…Eva hadn't said a word since she'd been left on the ship. It was possible that the youngest member of the team had already taken off her helmet, but that made little enough sense as it was, considering it was a team policy to keep your helmet on at all times, or at the very least your headset…

"Eva? Eva are you there?" Jade called out still half limping on her way. "Eva, answer me god dammit!" she shouted as she ran.

Suddenly the poor animal's legs hit something causing her to tumble to the muddy ground. In a panic, she quickly reached for her weapon turning its blue light toward whatever it was that had caused her to trip, and she had trouble believing what she saw. A familiar body lay in the mud, the light gray furred wolf's face was visible through a destroyed portion of his visor, where a thick stream of blood ran out into the already red mud. His chest looked as though it had been sliced into and pried apart revealing his insides. Jade ran her fingers over his exposed face as she could feel the tears trailing down her face and neck under her helmet. They itched and burned, but she didn't care as she pulled the animal's helmet off.

"Oh, John…no…" she said to her elf pulling his limp body against hers.

There was so much she'd never gotten to say. They were in love, something she let him know every day she woke up, but it still felt like it hadn't been enough. She wanted to wait until they were off of the planet and headed home to tell him that he'd be a father, but now…

She laid her head against his for a moment. "What am I going to do without you? I don't think I can raise a kit by myself…"

It was however that one name that distracted her mind from the heart-crushing loss of her lover. "Oh god…Eva."

It wasn't difficult at all for her to get up. Losing John and Tylor was hard enough, but were she to lose her only sister, she was certain she'd loose her mind. She quickly climbed to her feet the best she could, running toward the ship that waited for her in the near distance. There was little she could do for her team. Two of them were dead for certain and as far as she knew, the youngest one was as well. Whatever the thoughts in her head told her, the only thing that kept her from realizing the tremendous amount of pain in her leg was the fact that she needed to get off of the planet with her life. She was certain she'd already shot the creature once, but for some reason the bullets were of no effect.

The bright-red furred vixen quickly threw her helmet to one side as she entered the waiting ship and rushed to the bridge where she hoped and prayed that she'd find Eva waiting for her. Her paws instantly covered her mouth as she entered the bridge however. A much younger, darker furred vixen sat in the captain's seat, her neck savagely contorted over the headrest where her mouth hung open in an eternally silent scream of pain, her chest and abdomen viciously clawed as well as spattering the screens and terminals in front of her with blood. Jade's eyes instantly welled over with tears as she slapped her paws over her mouth. Tylor, John, and now even her only sister. She was still just a kit when she'd convinced her to join her team so early in her life, and now it was her fault that she was dead. The tears streaked down her face and felt as though they'd never stop. However, an instant thought caused her to jump to her feet rushing back down the halls of her ship. The docking bay was still open and she had to make certain that that……thing wasn't in there with her. Luckily as she found her way to the docking bay there was nothing but a few small ships and the racks that held the team's weapons. However as she looked out into the darkness, something hit her from behind throwing her to the muddy ground where she slid to a halt. As she looked up from the ground she could see the fox, dyed red with the blood of everyone she'd ever loved. A strange fear like none she'd ever known gripped the young vixen as she began clawing at the mud slowly managing to drag herself to the ship as the insane animal seemed to simply stalk behind tormenting her with her own impending death. It was as Jade was nearly into the ship's docking bay that she felt a paw take her by the ankle. She screamed in fear as she dug her fingers into the latticework of the metal floor, pulling against the animal's powerful grip with all the force that she possibly could. She managed to pull herself toward the team's weapon rack where she noticed what looked like a small handgun had fallen to the floor. Jade instantly whipped about firing the tranquilizer gun…the shot fired what appeared to be a small dart, which struck the animal in the chest. Stricken, Jade's attacker released her foot stumbling a bit down the ramp. The fox pulled the dart from his chest, tossing it aside. The animal looked to Jade, before six more shots seemed to hit all at once. This time as he staggered the animal fell to one knee with a paw on the side of his head. Three more shots met the animal's chest and finally his body began to sway a bit before he finally fell to the ground…

The vixen however found she couldn't move. The gravity of everything that had happened today had finally caught up with her. She was alone, these three animals were the only things she had that she could call family, and now there was nothing. She took her time dragging the unconscious animal to the brig of the ship. It was as she looked at the vulpine she pulled into the brig that her face contorted into a fierce snarl of pure hatred. This animal, or monster, whatever it was, had destroyed her entire life without a care for what it had done. She pulled a small pistol, aiming it at the animal. She'd intended to take him in, but the rage was too much to bear. She fired a shot into the animal's chest only to watch wide eyed as the wound the projectile created simply sealed over before any blood could even be spilled. A yell of pain and aggravation echoed through the room as she fired until the weapon emptied. Even after there was no sound from the weapon other than a small, dull click from each depression of the trigger. Jade slowly stepped backward out of the cell before collapsing into a seat where her weapon rattled to the floor. More tears streamed down her face. He'd killed her sister, who'd never lift an angry finger at anyone, John, who'd always done whatever it had taken to keep a smile on Jade's face for nothing more than the fact that he couldn't stand to see her when she was sad, and Tylor, who was an ass sometimes, even a pervert to some extent, but she'd known him her whole life and knew that he really was a sweet person at heart. The fox before her had ruined her entire life, and she couldn't even do something as simple as kill it. As her tears rolled down her face the vixen looked back to the animal that lay there…

"KAI…lock down that cell, electrify the bars, and take all the steps you can to make sure that thing doesn't get out," she said. "Keep a three stage code on the door at all times."

It was after she watched the door to the cell close that she finally broke, covering her face with her paws as her sobs finally found their way out. There was nothing more she could do but send word for help and shed her tears for the lives that were taken away from her…

*******

_The Nemesis……_

_Sauira Outer aerospace……_

The sound of her shower was little comfort to what Krystal had seen down on the planet. She refused to see anyone. At the moment she found that she could only remain sitting on the cold tiles with her knees pulled to her chest and her head resting on her knees. After seeing it for herself, the violent bloodshed of the Cerinians, she'd left to start a new life…there was left no doubt in her mind that Fox was there. Lia's memories were all she needed to see. How the young vixen had managed to sit through and watch it all happen was far beyond the Cerinian's understanding. It had to be to save the life of the little one that now stayed on the Nemesis until they could find her a proper home. Knowing that one so young had lived helped ease the blue vixen's mind, but her heart was another matter. Learning that she'd have to accept the fact that Fox had killed so many innocent people was simply more than her already fragile heart could handle. It was as she sat there hoping that somehow the waters would manage to wash away her tears that a familiar voice called for her attention. An older white vixen had entered the room to check on her. Not receiving the answer she'd hoped for, Vixy approached the blue vixen's shower only to find her curled up on the floor in her saddened state. As she reached for the poor animal, the water stung at her skin. It felt like ice, the heat having vanished from the water altogether. How long Krystal had been her she had no care of guessing. Vixy quickly turned off the shower and reached a towel around the heartbroken animal helping her out of the shower…

"Krystal…freezing yourself to death isn't going to make anything any better," she said rubbing the towel into the vixen's fur trying to get the icy water to dry up.

Krystal's tears still fell down her face. "What does it matter?" she asked. "Omni's won and we've lost Fox…"

Sitting the blue furred vixen down on the edge of her bed, Vixy continued to help her dry her wet fur. "Dear…I'm not going to tell you that I know any answers to what's going on…because I don't have any. I don't know why my son would do something as horrible as he did…"

"All of this has happened…" Krystal said. "…you've lost everything, your people, even your family. How do you keep it inside? You're always so calm…"

Vixy smiled. "There's no trick…I have faith in my son, just as you should. I know that not everything makes sense now, but it will if you give it time. I'm even certain that if you thought about it long enough…and stop torturing yourself over it…you'd at least think of some kind of answer." She sighed. "Krystal…you turned out to be every bit what I'd ever wanted to see in my own daughter had I the chance to have one. You're kind and caring, strong, and very loyal to whatever cause you set yourself to. And loving that idiot son of mine has made you the daughter that I always wanted. I think that's the main reason that it's so hard for me to see you like this," she said. "Just remember that whenever you're feeling like this that I'm still here…don't try to hold yourself away from everyone because none of us expect you to be made of steel. If you're hurting, we'll do what we can to make things better…I'm sure none of the others would like to see you like this either after all."

Krystal sniffled a bit. "Creed used to get angry when I'd think about Fox before all of this Omni business happened. He used to pass it off that way, but I think it was only because he cares so much…he didn't like seeing me like this, so I think he tried his hardest to make me angry so I'd stop crying," she said. "I wish he were okay right now. That would at least give me something to be happy about."

"Well that Jeffery fellow seems genuine in his wanting to help Creed," Vixy said. "He hasn't left the sick bay in almost three days."

The vixen continued to try her hardest to help Krystal cope with all that had happened so far while the others aboard the ship dealt with problems of their own…

*******

Jane lay against the table that Creed's near-lifeless body still lay on. She'd fallen asleep hours ago trying to stay awake long enough to know the outcome of the human medic's tests, but wasn't able to hold out long enough for the final results. It was as she lay there that a silver-furred vulpine and a pink-furred hare walked into the room. Roxy took a moment to lay a blanket over the exhausted cheetah before returning to Silver who looked to the human that was going over his test results…

"So?" Silver asked.

Jeff removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "With all of his symptoms and the results to these tests…it's definitely _some _form of Sigma…but there's something odd about it. Maybe it's because of the difference between a Lylatian and a Human's genetic makeup but…it's incredibly aggravating."

Roxy looped her arms around one of Silver's. "Can you…cure it?"

"If I knew what it was in specific, yes…" Jeff replied placing his glasses back on his face. "…all I know is that it's a form of Sigma I've never seen or read about, and that it's attacking his lungs more than anything else. Now I do have something that _may_ cure him. Then again it could kill him outright. I'd say that at this point his chances are a given……thirty…thirty-five percent…it's iffy," he said. "But I won't go through it without his direct consent. He should be awake some time soon. What he experienced on Macbeth was a serious attack. All the others he'd suffered up until now were only minor ones. Right now his body just needs to recover from what he did, but there's another problem we have that Randy pointed out."

"What's that?" Silver asked.

"Well…" Jeff said sitting down. "…I'm sure I don't need to tell you how complicated the mechanics of the Keizers is…" he explained. "…Alex is one of the greatest mechanics and technical minds I've ever known, and he can't think of a way to do to our machines what Omni has to theirs. To fully automate a Keizer would take an A.I. system border-lining the real thing. This could be a first step in something a lot bigger than what we may think," he said. "Thankfully Randy decided to bring back a few parts of the machine so Alex could have a look at it…but…well god only knows what he's going to find in there…"

Silver and Roxy left the room heading down the halls, at the moment unsure of where they were going. It was however, as they walked that Roxy noticed something about Silver; he wasn't the same calm, curious person he always was. He seemed slightly withdrawn and didn't even seem to react to her touch. It seemed as though everyone on the ship had changed since finding out about the incident on Sauria involving the Cerinians. This problem led them all the way back to their room, where Silver sat on the bed. The two had began sharing a room shortly after Roxy had explained the significance of it some time ago…

"What's wrong Silver?" the pink furred lapin asked as she sat next to him.

Silver simply sighed. "Is Creed…really going to die?" he asked.

"I really hope not…" Roxy replied brushing the hair on his head back with her paw.

"He didn't treat me like any of the others on the ship…" Silver said. "…he even once told Fox that I'd be better off in a cage…but…I'll still miss him if he leaves," he said. "It confuses me…I know he cares about all of us, even if his feelings for me are slightly torn…I still want him to live."

"There's nothing odd about wanting the people close to you to stay alive Silver…" Roxy replied. "…even if he can be a bit thick in the head, Creed's one of us…he's family."

"Roxy…" Silver said.

"Hmm?" she replied laying her head on his shoulder.

"Do you think Fox really did all those things they say he did?"

Roxy sighed looking to the floor. "I don't know…telepathy is pretty hard to lie to. Why?"

"Because……I don't believe it," Silver said.

Roxy took a moment to kiss the side of his muzzle. "Yeah, neither do I."

*******

Sia sat alone. She preferred things that way. This was a place where others couldn't hurt her…something she was far too used to. Most of the young husky's time was spent in the docking bay tucked away where she could keep to herself and her thoughts. She appreciated the kindness of the people that invited her aboard the Nemesis, but she was also still somewhat leery of friendly faces as they were a kind that had often lied to her in the past. She had been rather attracted to Fox when they'd first met, and even a bit more so as she got to know him better, but once she'd found that there was only a place in his heart for Krystal, she rapidly fell back into her old ways. She was certain that the others never even acknowledged her presence as she never really heard any of them mention her name. As she sat alone however, Sia noticed that one of the newer human members of the team was looking over some large chunk of machinery that resembled a torso missing both arms. Curious to learn more about the stranger, she managed to sneak across the room until she was perched on top of a nearby machine, Alex looked up as he noticed the canine's shadow…

He exhaled placing his hand on his chest. "Wow, kid. You're about as bad about that as Randy…"

The human quickly went back to work pulling away a piece of the human-sized machine apart at a time before he looked to the tool in his hand…

"Hey kid," he said. "Do me a favor and bring me that red metal box over there."

Sia took a moment to look in the direction the human pointed before looking back to him and cocking her head slightly to one side…

"You don't talk much, do ya kid?"

Sia sighed. "Seems better this way most of the time."

Alex took a moment to filter through his memories of the crew that he'd been introduced to. "You must be Sia…right?" he asked. "Alex…" he said extending his hand to her, which she only took a moment to look at.

"You're different than us…all four of you. What are you?" the canine asked.

Alex made his way to the toolbox, hefting it up and carrying it back to his workspace. "Not that much different from you guys I'd imagine…just on different stages of evolution I guess."

"What's…evo-lution?" she asked curiously, it being a term she wasn't familiar with.

"Wow…haven't heard that question in a long time," Alex said. "I'm not really the one to be answering that question though…I'm no scientist…but if you want I can try to explain if you wanna try to help me pull this thing apart."

It was as the two sat there that a taller, more slender human entered the room…

"Hey Alex, I'm done with those scans…" Nick said entering the room. "You're right, the A.I program's been replaced with a much stronger one, actually more powerful than I've ever seen one," he pointed out. "I've made some advanced A.I.s before, but this thing is completely different. I just want my chance to get a look at the computer they have inside that thing."

"You and me both Nick…" Alex said. "…now help me and Sia take this damn thing apart."

Nick set aside his things and quickly rushed to help…

*******

Mika sat alone in the ship's kitchen. She found it a bit harder than usual getting around at the time. Her arm was broken, her ribs were bruised which made just breathing alone painful, and her entire body seemed to be in constant pain. Yet she refused to ask Krystal to help heal any of her injuries as she was quite sure that the vixen wanted to be alone at the moment. She was in the cooking area when the door to the kitchen slid open and closed. The minx reached a bit too high for something, which caused her to drop the object. Cradling her ribs with her one arm that wasn't in a sling, Mika looked to the person standing a small ways away at the cooking area's sink looking at her. Randy had clearly been training like he usually did. She'd never seen him without a shirt. She admitted that she was a bit curious about what the human body looked like, but she was a bit surprised. His skin was drawn taught over his musculature, causing perfectly outlining his physique. His slightly pale skin was however far from flawless. His chest, abdomen, and back were a practical mesh of criss-crossing scars that resembled those of long cuts as well as small round scars that she was certain were bullet wounds, along with a long, jagged edged scar that crossed his chest from shoulder to hip. Using the shirt that hung over his shoulder the human wiped the sweat from his forehead before walking over and reaching to the cabinet handing the pale minx the small container she had reached for…

"Umm…" she hesitated. "…thanks."

Randy shrugged his shoulders before grabbing a few things for himself and walking out to a table…

"I don't think I've ever seen more scars on one body in my life," Mika said as she walked out into the room.

Randy looked up at the Minx for a moment, chewing on what appeared to be a small chunk of a sandwich he'd made before looking back to his plate…

"So what?" the Minx asked walking to the table. "Just fine at first, then you just start to ignore people?"

Randy sighed a bit. "No…I just hate talking about the past…"

"Why's that?" Mika asked.

This time the human's sigh was slightly frustrated as he dropped his sandwich to his plate. "Look…I'll just say that there are people out there that just like to see others suffer, okay? The ones that did this to me…" he said holding out his arms to show the depth of his scars. "…they were some of those people."

"Hmm…I think I know what you mean," the pale furred minx replied. "Sorry I brought it up."

"Meh…" Randy said. "…I woulda asked questions too."

Mika took a small bite of her food. "You know…you guys are nothing like the humans I'd imagined were out there."

Randy chuckled a bit. "Not really. If anything, we're a lot worse than any of the humans back home. Most people on Third Earth really frown on taking lives, so that's why our "leader" was against us coming here." There was a long silence that seemed to make the human a bit uneasy. "You think your big friend is gonna be alright?"

The minx's attitude shifted to that of a sadder demeanor as she looked to the table. "Creed's a strong guy….he'll be fine."

"So…how long have you been trying to hide the fact that you like him?" Randy asked with a slight smirk.

Mika sighed. "Not hiding anything," she said. "I wanted to tell him that I liked him, but…"

"Jane?"

The minx sighed again. "Yeah…I don't think the idea of me and Creed together ever even crossed his mind for a minute. He may have always been trying to hide it, but he really does love her," she said. "I've been jerked around by just about every guy I've ever met…Creed was different though, he……made me feel like I was important. I'm not really a person that's ever had a whole lot of friends."

"Join the club," Randy replied. "Jeff found me about four, five years back. At that time he was working with Nick and Alex…some weird government project I guess. They're they only friends I can actually remember…or at least care to."

With that fell another long silence, one of which didn't end until the human had finally decided he'd had enough to eat and left the room, where Mika simply sighed and continued eating…

*******

As Jane lay there asleep, Creed's metal bed the only thing keeping her from falling out of her seat, she could feel something brush against the side of her face. She simply shrugged it off as the room's air conditioning had woken her up several times the exact same way, but as she attempted to sleep a bit longer, it happened again. This time however, she reached for her moving fur only to meet with a large paw. Her eyes instantly shot open and the cheetah quickly tossed herself at the large vulpine wrapping her arms around his neck…

"CREED!!! You're okay!" she shouted. "How long have you been awake?"

Creed smiled though his pain showed through. "Just about an hour…"

"What have you been doing then?" she asked.

Creed managed to pull himself into an upright position against his bed's headboard. "Watching you sleep…" He smiled. "…You were snoring."

Jane finally pulled away from the crimson fox. "Can you stand up?"

Creed chuckled. "No…Jane…" He cut himself off for a moment. "…listen. Chances are, I'm not leaving this room again. I'm not just sick…I'm dying Jane. I know you're smart enough to see that."

Jane didn't know what to say. She knew what he said was true, but there was a part of her that refused to believe it…

"I don't really want to believe it either…" he said. "…I don't like feeling this weak all the time. Makes me feel…useless. My strength is all I've ever had…now I'm just…dead weight."

She still couldn't think of anything to say even though she wanted nothing more now than to put his mind at ease. However, a large human stepped into the room removing a pair of thick glasses from his face as he did so…

"I'm sorry Jane but…" he said. "…could I please speak with Creed alone for a moment?"

Jane looked at Creed for a moment who simply nodded to her. The feline kissed the side of his muzzle just before leaving the room. Jeff then found a seat near his end of the room and sat there for a moment trying to think of what it was he was going to say…

"Just spit it out," Creed said.

Jeff sighed. "You have a rare condition known as Sigma…it's commonly a human disease but…" he said. "…apparently our genetic makeup is enough alike to allow it to infect your body just fine. Unfortunately, because of the difference in our DNAs, the thing itself has mutated into some new form of the original disease. In a nutshell, it is eventually going to kill you, and at the rate your lungs are deteriorating…I'd give you four…five days at the most."

Creed's eyes fell to the door that Jane had left through upon hearing the news. "Is there a cure?"

"Yes…and no," Jeff replied. "You see, we, meaning us humans, managed to cure a great deal of various diseases amongst our people. After the last war we were in, we as a whole decided against repeating our mistakes and stopped the production of all WMDs of any kind. Instead we began to develop our technology toward other things, in specific nanotechnology and medical science," he said taking a seat as he laid his glasses on the table beside him. "In all those years the human race produced one particular invention that I am proud to say that I had a small part to do with…" he said pulling a small object from his white coat. "…and that would be this. It's called a Biological Modification Node…or Bio-mod for short. It was invented as a means of which to destroy viruses and other host problems inside the body," he said setting the small metal tube on the table. "We've managed to cure a great deal of ailments with these things…even blindness actually. You see, the nanomachines that make up the mod are programmed with all the integral information they need to repair any sort of problem in the host's body set within that particular mod's parameters."

Creed squinted suspiciously at the human. "This sounds like it's got a hell of a downside."

Jeff sighed. "Well…that's why I want this to be up to you," he said. "I know you don't have any kind of love for humans. I can see it in how you look at us and refer to us as 'human' instead of our names…and on top of that, these particular devices were programmed with the human genome in mind, so there is of course a factor of risk in using one on any form of Lylatian. It could cure you, could kill you, could even do something we don't even expect…don't really know."

Creed thought about it for a moment. "No…I don't want your help…or your…miracle cures."

"I can understand why you'd hate humans Creed," Jeff said placing his glasses back on his face while walking over and leaving the object on the nightstand next to Creed's bed before heading for the door. "Just remember this: not all humans are warmongers, or slavers. Just like the people here, you have to accept that there are going to be assholes out there that don't wanna play by the rules. That's just life…it ain't fair, and it never will be. I've done some tests and I'm almost certain that the mod will cure you. If not…I apologize…but this is all I can do. I'll get outta your hair now."

Jeff nodded to Jane as he left the room allowing the young feline to rush back to Creed's side before he headed down the halls, unsure of what to do to get him through the rest of the day…

*******

There was a smell that lingered on the air the likes of which could never be forgotten. It was that of a hundred dead animals, all at the paws of one individual. Though his mind was fuzzy, he had no idea where he was when he awoke. There was something binding his paws behind his back. He could make absolutely nothing out of his environment, spare the fact that he was in a small room. There were clearly two animals standing guard outside of the small room, but it was far too vague for him to make out any details. Their voices were so far off that they sounded like distance echoes reverberating through his skull…

"You hear 'bout Jade's team?" one voice asked the other.

"Yeah…something to do with this poor bastard."

"Wasn't she married to one of 'em?" the other voice asked after a moment.

"No…close though. Apparently Jade barely managed to get out of there alive as it was. Said freakshow here flipped out on himself…hit his ass with enough tranq' to bring down a Luxonian."

One of the blurred figures looked into the room. "Hmm…sure it wasn't too much? He don't look so good in there…"

"Don't worry about it…" the other voice answered. "…he'll have bigger problems as soon as he wakes up. He'd best hope he never does…"

"How is Jade anyhow?"

There was a slight pause. "Her only family, fiancé, and her best friend were all killed for trying to help someone…how the fuck do you think she's feeling? Kid hasn't left her quarters in three days."

Suddenly a third voice entered the room, a faded, yet familiar one. "How's the prisoner?"

"Still pretty out-of-it, Sir," one of the guards replied.

"Hmmm…." the familiar voice hummed. "Funny seeing you here…huh McCloud?" the animal said looking into the cell. "I wish this were a better instance for us to see each other again, but this isn't gonna be much of a social call…" the familiar one said turning away from the cell. "Get me a direct call to the troops still on Sauria…tell them to get word to the Nemesis. We've found something that belongs to them…and they've got some serious explaining to do."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author Notes:**_ Sorry the update took longer than I'd originally planned but, it couldn't be helped. Anyhow, I'll try to work on some other projects ASAP, but, this Chains of Fate project I've got going has been sucking the time right outta me. So on that note; if you're following any of my other works, they will be updated just not nearly as much as Shattered Hopes..._

_Well thank you all for the support...Tons of thanks to CRAFTY LEFTY and the many of you still reading this. Don't forget that Reviews make my fingers happy _^_^_ LOL. Well Till next time all..._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox

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……**Chapter 8……**

Jade sat in her room, her stomach pained from all the crying she'd done on top of her neglect to eat anything. The room was far too familiar. How much time had she spent in this room, how many times had she and John made love in the bed whose sheets were now stained with her tears? She'd never felt like she did now; alone, and guilty. She'd had every chance to get her team away from that animal, and she never did. She should have listened to Eva. There were so many things left unsaid between the three of them, and now there would never be another chance for her to say any of it. The only bit of peace she had was in knowing that she'd left the planet with their bodies to give them the proper rest they all deserved. It was a sobering fact, but it eased none of the pain she felt. She blamed herself for not being able to protect them, for not listening, and most of all, she blamed herself for not being able to avenge them. Whatever the animal was that had attacked them, an entire clip of bullets couldn't kill it. She rushed into the bathroom as she felt her stomach turn again. It had been acting like this for days. Before she knew that it was only morning sickness, but now…she wasn't so sure anymore. With the number of times she'd thrown up in the last two days it could have been any number of different causes. It was as she came out of the bathroom that she saw a very stern-faced canine sitting on the end of her bed…

"So…this is all you're gonna do?" he asked. "You're just gonna sit here…and starve yourself to death?"

"You don't know what I'm going through, so back off Bill…"

"You're right, what do I know about losing family?" he asked. "My only family is laying in a hospital bed right now dying, and I can't even get to her now because I turned my back on Omni," Bill said. "For all I know, they already killed Ayme and my kid before I even got to meet him…but what you're doing right now isn't only affecting you…"

Jade looked a bit shocked. "What?" Bill asked. "You thought the doctors on my own ship weren't going to tell me of my own cousin's condition?" he said. "How do you think John would feel about this right now? He always wanted to be a father…I knew him well enough to know that."

Jade thought about it as she sat next to him. "It hurts so much…it feels like I have no reason to live without John here."

"Yes you do," Bill said. "There's a part of him with you right now, but it's also a fragile part that you're gonna have to take care of…and what you're doing right now is hurting both you and the baby," he said reaching across her shoulders and pulling her close to him. "Look…you don't need to stay in this little place anymore. You're welcome to come out of the docking bay. My ship's got more than enough rooms, and everyone here already likes you anyhow."

"Thanks Bill…but…"

Bill stood up suddenly. "No buts!" He tried not to raise his voice. "Come on, we're going to the galley…and I'm not letting you leave my sight until I see you eat something…got that?"

With a surrendering sigh the vixen gave in. He was right, and she really was hungry. It was just that…for some reason her mind wouldn't let her leave her old ship. Not until what she now knew was her only connection to her own family decided to force the issue…

*******

Lia stretched her back as she sat up in her bed. Krystal and the others were quick to allow her to stay with them. For some reason the vixen had still not gone to see her brother despite the fact that he now lay on what was most likely his deathbed. As the cream-furred vixen shifted a bit, there was a light groan from the little blue-furred kit that held onto her as she slept. Lia had no idea why she felt as close to the young fox as she did. Perhaps it was just a natural maternal instinct that had no other place to go since she didn't have any kits of her own, or maybe it was because on some small level she blamed herself for what had happened to the child's parents. Either way she swore she'd never leave the little one alone, not after watching what had happened and being able to do nothing in any means to stop it. As she slid out of bed, Lia placed a small pillow where she'd been laying, which the kit quickly latched onto. The vixen only wore a pair of slightly long shorts that only reached a small ways down her thighs and a tank top that came only shy of covering her naval. She yawned just as there was a light tap at the door…

"Who's there?" Lia whispered.

"It's Krystal…" the blue vixen answered from behind the door. "…You awake in there?"

"Isn't it obvious?" the vixen chuckled. "Come in, but be quiet. Terya's sleeping."

The door slowly opened allowing the lovely blue creature to enter the room. Her eyes instantly went to the little one, the last survivor of the Cerinians of Sauria. "She really is beautiful isn't she?" Krystal asked.

Lia smiled. "She looks just like you."

Krystal blushed a bit. "A lot of our people look alike. I guess it's sort of genetic."

It was now that Lia noticed that what the vixen was wearing was hardly much different than what she herself had on. Apparently they had equal taste in sleeping attire. "Wow…we look alike or what?" Lia asked chuckling as she held her arms out to show Krystal her attire.

"Great minds think alike I guess…you hungry?" Krystal asked. "Couldn't sleep."

Lia sighed. "Yeah, me neither…I'm not too hungry, but I could use something to drink," she said going for her clothes.

Krystal rose her paw. "Don't bother…nobody else is awake."

Lia shrugged her shoulders and followed the blue vixen toward the kitchen. It was after they were there that Krystal went for something to eat while Lia grabbed a bottled drink from the fridge. It was however as she sat down that a pleasant smell wafted through the area from whatever Krystal was cooking…

"You know…now that you mention it…"

Krystal laughed. "Don't worry. I thought ahead," she said walking out of the kitchen with two plates of food.

The two sat there for a short time eating before Krystal stopped. "Lia, are…" She paused. "You're certain that it was Fox you saw, aren't you?"

Lia paused setting down her fork. "I'm…I'm sorry Krystal. There's no way of mistaking it…that was a night I'll never forget…and I don't think it's a night Terya's ever gonna forget either."

"Did you know her parents?" Krystal asked.

Lia nodded. "Yeah…basically she was Julius's sister in law."

Krystal looked to the table. "Any idea where Julius is?"

Lia shook her head. "No…and we never found a body. Either he's been completely destroyed, or…or he's alive and somewhere out there," she said. "You have no idea how much Terya loved him."

Krystal suddenly smiled. "Seems to like you an awful lot too."

Lia smiled. "She keeps calling me……sheeva te…"

Krystal smiled. "Elder Sister."

"So that's what she keeps calling me? Sister?"

Krystal chuckled. "Yeah, pretty much."

"She doesn't seem to talk much…does she?" the blue vixen asked.

Lia smiled. "No…not since she saw what happened," she replied, her expression souring. "I think she'll be remembering it for a long time now. You don't forget something like watching your family die too easily."

"I think you can probably help her get there." Krystal smiled. "Though I think you'd feel a bit better if you visited your brother. I think he'd feel a bit better too. He really misses you."

Lia sighed. She'd lost her appetite long ago. "Creed doesn't need me…" she said. "…not when he's got someone like you."

"Wait a minute…" Krystal said looking hard into the vixen's eyes. "You…think he replaced you? With me?"

Lia turned her eyes away from the cerulean vixen. "Lia…you know that's ridiculous," Krystal said. "You're his sister…I'm his best friend. There's a difference." The vixen still looked away. "Listen, Creed loves you Lia. After he found out about you, it was all he could ever talk about anymore. Did you even know that he thinks you see him as some sort of monster?"

Lia suddenly looked back to Krystal. "What?" she asked in a surprised voice.

"He thinks that's why you left in the first place…because you couldn't stand to see him anymore," she said. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about…I was in his room tonight after Jane fell asleep. You have no idea how badly he really wants to see you or how much it's hurting him that you don't want to see him. I can't stand seeing him like that Lia…he thinks he's going to die without ever seeing his little sister again," she said. "Like it or not, Creed is dying in there…and if you don't go see him, I assure you that you're going to regret it for the rest of your life."

"That's not true…" Lia replied. "I love my brother Krystal. It's just that……when I'm here with you all…I only get in the way. It's just better if I'm not around. Understand?"

Krystal sighed. "No, I don't. There's no reason for you to feel that way at all. You're not weak Lia…just because you aren't a fighter doesn't mean you aren't important," she said. "You protected Terya…even when you knew there wasn't much you could do against someone like Fox…that's a lot stronger than a lot of people I know…"

It was as Krystal said this that the sound of the door opening gathered their attentions. Standing in the doorway for a moment was the human that had been living in the ship's training center. He looked at the two vixens, raising an eyebrow in confusion at the way they were dressed before heading to the kitchen where he returned with a bottle of water. He walked back to the door and stopped in the opened doorway for a moment to quench his thirst…

"What are you doing awake?" Krystal asked.

Randy looked over his shoulder before looking back to the door. "Didn't realize I needed permission to have insomnia…good to know," he replied. "Besides…the big one won't give the bags a rest."

"Wait…you don't mean Creed do you?"

Randy sighed. "He's the only one of your kind here that's taller than I am. So either Creed's in the training room…or Jeff really needs to do a lot of shaving," he said with a yawn. "Maybe I can find somewhere else to sleep. Either way…just saying you might wanna check on him before he gives himself another coronary. He's been at it for about an hour."

The two vixens made a hurry to rush to the training area. From down the hall they could hear the thundering impact of the large vulpine's punches. Krystal could swear that the thundering sounds were enough to shake the entire ship. However as they entered the large training room, the massive vulpine was sitting on the outside edge of the sparring ring, breathing heavily while wiping sweat from his forehead. Normally he'd never be so winded from such a short workout, but his condition was far too debilitating to allow him to go about training like he would normally. Then again, his idea now was not to actually train, but rather it was to think…

"Creed?" Krystal asked. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"I'm not ready to just lay down and die…" he answered. "…if I do, it's gonna be on my own two feet."

Krystal thought for a moment before smiling a bit. "Same as the first day I met you."

Lia looked to the large vulpine. "Creed I……"

Creed looked away from the vixen. "Lia…please. Could I talk with Krystal alone for a minute?"

The cream furred vixen thought for a moment, before walking out of the room with her chin hanging against her chest…

"Creed…she didn't deserve that."

The crimson furred vulpine sighed. "Krystal…your human buddy……Jeff. He…when he was in my room the other day, he said something about being able to cure what I have. Apparently it's a virus that's killed a lot of humans in its time."

Krystal smiled. "So…you're cured?"

Creed shook his head. "No. He says the cure is risky…only about a sixty percent chance that it'll cure me."

"And the other forty?" she replied.

Creed sighed heavily. "Probably kill me."

Krystal thought about this situation. "Creed? You're really thinking about it aren't you?"

Creed nodded. "Yeah. I don't trust him, but he seems to know a lot about this. One of the other humans…Alex I think…said that he was some sort of doctor. Helped create this device…calls it a Bio-Mod. Apparently it's some sort of super advanced Nanotech designed to wipe out intruders in your system…I'm beginning to believe that they really have changed as a people…if they've invented something so advanced in the name of medical science…"

"Creed…people change," Krystal replied. "Even entire races of people can change if they all ban together to do so. Look at what the Luxonians did for themselves."

"Yeah I guess you're right…" he said. "…I really just wanted to see what you thought about all of this. You've always found it so much easier to trust people than I have."

Krystal chuckled. "Well…comes with the territory of being a telepath I guess. The only problem I've ever really had with reading minds was with Fox's. For some reason I can never get into his thoughts," she said. "I can tell you though that Jeff and his team's motives are all worthy of our trust. Unfortunately, at the most I think this whole thing is really up to you. Whatever you do I'll support your decision. I think you really should tell Lia though…and please don't torment Randy…apparently he suffers from some sort of sleeping disorder, so next time give him a warning of some kind."

"I did…" Creed replied. "…said he didn't mind. He was wide awake when I came in here…swinging a sword around."

Krystal sighed. "Look…I'm gonna send Lia back in here…talk to her…okay. I have to go get some things done before the Captains of the four ships on Sauria come here. We've got a meeting set up to put together what we're gonna do about Omni…"

"So…" Creed said. "…you're gonna go through with all this?"

"How could I not?" Krystal asked. "Fox would do the same thing wouldn't he?"

"I think you know that better than I do," Creed replied.

"I'm still worried about him Creed," the vixen said. "There's something wrong with him. He'd never do those things unless he wasn't himself…and I think it has something to do with that black shard that Arlex had buried in his chest…because now, whatever it is, is stuck in Fox's chest. I think that thing is controlling him somehow."

"That's a pretty big assumption."

Krystal sighed. "Well, we can talk about it later," she said walking to the door. "I'll send Lia in here, but as far as for Jeff's offer…I'd feel a lot better knowing you're safe and healthy. It'd really help me sleep at night."

Creed sighed as the vixen made her way out of the room, only to sit patiently waiting for his sister…

*******

Krystal was woken from a rather restless sleep by the sound of someone knocking on the door of her room. It was as she continued to lay there and roll over hoping to get more sleep that the door slid open and a white-furred vixen entered, slowly walking over and gently shaking the blue vulpine…

"Krystal…" Vixy called softly. "Krystal, wake up. There's a transmission from Sauria…" The stubborn vixen only replied with a short groan as she pulled Fox's old pillow to cover her head completely. "Krystal…it's about Fox."

Krystal finally pulled the pillow slightly away from her face only leaving her muzzle visible. "Do I really wanna hear it?"

"Not really…" Vixy replied in a saddened tone. "…but at least we found him."

Krystal finally rolled to a sitting position on the edge of the bed. Her matted fur was horribly unkept, and she looked as though she'd had a terrible rest indeed. She rubbed the side of her head as she looked to the white vixen. Her stomach felt like it was tied in a knot and she was certain that she'd vomit as soon as she stood up the nausea was so bad. Her eyes barely hung open as Vixy felt her forehead…

"Are you feeling alright dear?" she asked. "No puns intended, but you look a bit pale in the face."

Krystal laid her paw on her stomach. "I feel horrible…I don't know why I just couldn't stop eating last night," she said.

"Well dear, we all have those days, don't we?" Vixy chuckled. "If you really don't want to come down to the bridge I'll gather the details and get a meeting arranged to go see Fox. How's that sound dear?" she asked brushing her paw over the vixen's hair caringly.

Krystal very gingerly lay back down pulling Fox's pillow back into her. "Thank you…Vixy."

The pale vixen smiled. "You're quite welcome dear. Now you get some sleep…and stay off your feet for now."

Vixy then left the young vixen to herself. She could tell that something was wrong, but for the time being there was something important that she needed to do…

*******

As the hours of another day passed, Vixy eventually found her way back to Krystal's room…where she found the vixen crouched by the toilet afraid to move fearing that she'd have to clean her insides off the floor again. She looked as though she'd thrown up repeatedly within even the last hour. The older vixen bent down helping Krystal to her feet…

"Dear, it's high time you were seen in the sick bay. I believe Jeffery is still down there doing some more tests for Creed."

Krystal groaned from the pressure of standing up. "Oh…Okay…" she said leaning on the vixen's shoulder.

"Good…I think it's pretty clear that you must be sick."

Krystal's only reply was a weak groan…

*******

Several hours passed before a small force of the Nemesis's crew was all assembled in the docking bay of another ship. It was a large Cornerian ship that Krystal did not recognize. There was a dark furred minx that reminded her a bit of Mika. As she approached, the minx extended a paw to Krystal…

"Hello…I'm Captain Tera and…"

Krystal seemed to barely be able to keep her eyes open. "Where's Fox? Is he okay?"

Tera sighed. "More or less…he's…healthy if that's what you mean," she said signaling for a Bengal tiger in the back of the room to come to her. "Max…take Miss Krystal to the brig to see the prisoner," she said waiting for Krystal to follow Max off. "I wanted to spare her the details, but there's something the rest of you need to hear about…something that happened before we found Mister McCloud in Dan'jas. In fact, there's an animal here that the lot of you need to talk with," Tera said. "Why don't you all come with me? You must be hungry."

It was as the small group followed Tera that she looked over her shoulder hearing Vixy's voice. "So this is your ship, Tera?"

"Not quite…" the minx replied. "…_The Rebellion_ belongs to the Cornerian military…I'm only borrowing it for now. Some small groups of the military managed to get off the planet before Omni hit…luckily we received an anonymous tip that they were on their way…"

Vixy thought for a moment. "What about the General?"

"I'm certain she's somewhere around here…" Tera replied.

The animals all followed the captain, spare for the one that was led off to the brig of the ship. Curious about what Fox would have to say to her, if he said anything at all. However, as she walked she only prayed that all the things she'd heard were not true…

*******

Krystal wasn't very sure about what she was doing. She wondered if Fox was even the same person anymore, or if he'd even talk to her. There was something going on around here and she knew it had to be something to do with the events that led to Arlex's death. It had always seemed like the black-furred vulpine had been leading them along that whole time. Had he planned everything out? No, it wasn't possible. There was no way that this was all about getting the shard into Fox. It was as she made her way through the halls following the tiger that she noticed this ship was no more decorated than the Nemesis. It was drab and dull with nothing but gray and chrome as far as the eye could see. The feline led her down one hall and up another seemingly across the entire ship before coming to a stop at an elevator, which the two boarded. The sudden jerk of the lift caused the vixen to slap her paw over her mouth…

"You alright ma'am?" the feline soldier asked.

Krystal swallowed. "Just a little motion sickness…" she said. "…are we almost there?"

"Just about…" Max replied. "…this ship is pretty damn big…a lot bigger than the one's I'm used to. I really was surprised when we saw McCloud again. There's something different about him now. It's almost like he's a different person altogether…you'll see, just don't say I didn't warn you…cuz you aren't gonna like it."

Krystal thought about it. "That doesn't matter…I have to see him."

"I understand…it's hard being away from the ones you love," Max said. "I haven't seen my own family in over a year."

"I'm sorry…" Krystal said. "Wife and kids?"

Max chuckled. "Oh yeah. Gorgeous wife, ten kids…"

Krystal laughed. "Wow…busy fella."

Max chuckled. "Well…to be fair, two sets of twins and a one of quadruplets…it was an odd instance really. Doctors said those kind of back to back births are pretty damn rare. Don't think I'd have it any other way though."

"Where you from? Corneria?"

The tiger nodded. "Yeah…luckily they were all out visiting family. No real clue where they all are now," he said with a sigh. "I'd give anything to know if they were alright."

"I'm sure they are…" Krystal said. "…the world can't be all bad news. At least I hope not."

As the elevator stopped Max looked out into the brig. "Sorry, but I'm not going in there…" he said. "I can't stand those eyes."

"Is there even a guard down here?" Krystal asked stepping off the elevator.

"Not since the last one got too close…" Max replied. "…watch yourself. Try to keep your distance."

The blue vixen could feel a very powerful, very angry mind in the room. However it was not the mind she was told to expect. She knew Fox by his senses. He was a loving animal with a strong mind, but however strong this mind was, loving or kind were not words she'd use to describe it. It was a forbidding presence, one that made her stomach turn just being anywhere near it. The air in the room carried an almost otherworldly chill, and it felt as though even the ship itself could feel this horrible presence. As she cradled herself for warmth, the vixen stepped around a corner only to see a dark-furred fox sitting on the floor in the shadows of a cell all to himself. There was blood on the floor as well as smeared across the walls of the cell. As she approached the cell the animal turned a gleaming white, yet horribly sadistic smile and a familiar, yet horrifyingly different pair of jade green eyes…

"Fox?" she calmly called. "Fox…is that really you?"

As the creature kept staring at her an all too familiar voice echoed from the cell, "Fox?" her own voice rung back. "…is that really you?"

"What in the world?" the vixen questioned studying the animal.

Fox's head cocked to one side for a moment before his voice changed to that of another young vixen. "Sis…Jade? Where are you? Please let me out."

Krystal could only look at the animal in confusion. The imitated voice was perfect. There was no trace of Fox McCloud's voice at all.

Suddenly Krystal noticed that Fox's eyes flickered a bit. "K-krystal?" he said slowly walking toward the bars. "What are you doing here you gotta get away from here…"

Realizing that this was the vulpine she loved, Krystal rushed to him as he was now up against the bars. However as Krystal made it close enough the animal quickly reached its muzzle through the bars snapping an inch or so away from her face. It was a play. Whatever was going on, this thing was smart. It let out a horrid spout of cackling laughter as it backed away from the bars of the cell, still showing the blue vixen its sadistic smile. It was at this moment that she was fully able to accept the fact that Fox had done these things, whether or not it was of his own accord made no difference now. If he were taken to a fair trial, he'd be killed…

"I know you're in there Fox…" she said. "…you're stronger than this thing. I promise I'll get you back…" She sniffled a bit. "I'm not about to lose you again."

As Krystal stood there she grimaced. Vixy had told her that she didn't have to come, but despite the fact that her stomach was causing her such grief, the blue furred vixen refused to stay on the Nemesis. She'd gotten what she'd come for. Fox was here, and he was for the most part safe. She found it amazing that even now, knowing that Fox had killed so many innocent people, she could still love him just as much as she ever had. Of course knowing that he had not done these things of his own free will made it much easier to take in stride. Unfortunately her stomach gave her more pain than she could stand any longer. It pained her to leave him like that. She was certain that it was just a simple stomach virus that would eventually work it's way out of her system, but for now all she could do was grin and bear it, and at the moment feed the strange spout of hunger that gripped at her insides…

*******

Silver and Roxy sat in the kitchen after the lapin informed the silver-furred vulpine that she was hungry. They found that Mika was there, as well as Sia, Nick, Alex, and Jeff…the only one that seemed to be missing was Randy, to no great surprise. The group all seemed to be talking about something, something important by the sound of it…

"Are you sure about that Jeff?"

Jeff sighed. "Yeah. There's no other way of describing it really. I'm just not sure how to actually tell her. Kind of a touchy subject with this whole thing with her mate and all."

Silver seemed to simply sit by listening from another table as they talked on before Mika stood up and headed out of the room…

"Do you think Krystal knows?" Nick asked.

Jeff shook his head. "No…I don't think anyone does. With all this stress it's not really a good idea to put any more on her anyhow."

It was as they talked that Silver looked to the pink Lapin that sat across from him, "What are they talking about Roxy?" he asked quietly.

"I really don't think it's something we should be listening to…or something they should be talking about so openly."

Silver looked to the table of humans. "Hmmm…they sound like they're just worried about her to me."

Roxy looked to the humans before looking back to Silver. "I don't know…I'm still not sure if I trust those four. The one staying in the training room kinda scares me…"

"He can't be that bad can he?" Silver asked. "He saved Mika's life didn't he?"

Roxy thought for a moment. "Yeah…you could be right. It's just that they're so much different than us…it's hard to find common ground with them."

"I was a lot different when you met me…" Silver pointed out. "…Did you feel the same way about me when you and Fox found me?"

"Silver that's a different matter…"

Silver looked to the pink lapin. "Why? Because I look like a Lylatian? I'm pretty sure that to them we're the ones that are different. I'm sure they feel just as out of place here as I did when you found me…as I still do sometimes."

"You know you don't need to feel like that around here Silver."

"It's got nothing to do with need Roxy…" Silver replied. "…But there's no way you can change the fact that I'm not a normal Lylatian…normal animals don't do the things that I do."

Roxy sighed. "I guess you're right." She chuckled. "But that guy in the training room still scares me."

Nick stopped for a moment on his way by laying a hand on the bunny's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. He scares the hell outta me too."

Roxy chuckled as the human made his way out of the room. "It's only natural to feel odd or threatened by people different than yourself. The human race has been guilty of it plenty of times," Alex said. "Besides…I think Randy scares us all a little."

Jeff couldn't help but laugh slowly causing the others to join him. He however stopped almost instantly looking away. The others however seemed to all freeze in place at the feeling of a cold stare. "What're we laughing at?" Randy's rough voice asked.

The human's voice caused everyone to suddenly stop laughing. The rest of his time in the room was filled with a strangely awkward silence. Randy gave the entire room of people and odd look as he gathered a few things from the kitchen, shaking his head as he left the room without another word…

*******

Nobody seemed happier than Jane when she'd found Creed finally up and moving around. He'd spent a lot of time on the bridge where he seemed to be waiting all day for something. Jane entered the bridge to find the large vulpine sitting in the captain's seat with his head resting on his fist. He sighed a bit when he felt a pair of very soft paws rest on his shoulders…

"Are you alright?" the young cheetah asked.

Creed chuckled. "I'm slowly dying, my best friend's mate is being held accountable for more innocent deaths than I care to count, and Omni has just about gotten their paws on everything they need."

Jane chuckled. "What does that have to do with you hanging around up here all day?" she asked beginning to rub his shoulders.

"I just feel like I need to be here for some reason," the large vulpine replied, leaning back looking at Jane gently kissing her before looking to the planet that floated outside the window. He coughed a bit before taking a deep breath. "I know it sounds cliché and all, but I feel something's about to happen…and when it does…a lot of people are gonna die, a lot of innocent people. I think Omni is much bigger than we may think. Makes me feel a little bad that I won't be around to see Omni go down…" He sighed. "…I'd give just about anything to get my paws on the bastard behind all this."

Jane laid her head on top of Creed's. "You'll be there Creed. I know you will…" she said. "…It'll take more than a disease to kill you."

"I can feel myself getting weaker every day," Creed said. "Sometimes it's hard enough just sitting up in the morning."

"Creed…" Jane paused. "What about what Jeff told you? That thing he gave you? He said that it could cure you."

Creed looked to the small device in his paw. "I don't know……he also said it could kill me. I don't like saying it…but…I trust him. I don't want to, but I do. I was always thought that all humans were the same, but he's different. All of them are."

Suddenly a familiar sound informed the two of an incoming transmission. Creed quickly answered to find that it was Krystal on the other end of the line…

"Creed?" she asked.

"Yeah…thought it was about time I got off my ass," he replied. "What's up?"

Krystal sighed. "Look, get everyone to the bridge…we've got a plan to go over."

***

It was only a short while after gathering on the bridge that everyone found their seats. Even Sia was there staying to the shadows somewhere keeping out of sight while Krystal went over the details with the others…

"So…Omni's gonna launch a multi-faceted attack huh?" Creed asked. "You happen to know where they're gonna hit?"

"Yes. These guys intercepted a transmission from Omni…" Krystal replied. "…Sauria is one of their targets, as well as Titania for some reason. They're gonna hit Kew pretty hard, and apparently they have plans to port their remaining troops here…their primary forces are going to concentrate on the Beltino Orbital Gate Station," she pointed out. "Which means we need four individual ground teams while what's left of these guys backs us up from the air. Creed, I know how you probably feel about all this, but I want you to stay where you are…after seeing Fox the way he is over here, I really don't think I could handle watching you get yourself hurt."

Creed sighed. "K, I'm sorry, but I'm not just gonna sit on my ass and watch myself die."

"Creed this is not negotiable! It's an order!" the blue vixen yelled. "You're staying where you are. You're in no condition to be fighting!"

Creed sighed, though in truth he wanted to smile at the fact that she cared so much. "No offense kid, but you know what I think of orders…" he replied calmly. "…I'm not staying here no matter what's said. If you think you can stop me, then go ahead and stop me. Cuz it's the only way I'm staying here."

Krystal could feel the anger boiling over inside her. Did he even care how she felt? Did he want to die? To cause her more pain than she already felt? It finally burst form her…

"Fine!" Krystal shouted wiping her eyes. "If you wanna die so badly then go!!"

Creed sighed as he stood up and headed out of the room. "Sure…whatever you say captain."

Krystal looked to the ground. "Jane, you and Alex go with him…head for Kew," she said. "Alex…"

The human held up a hand. "Don't worry about it…I'll do what I can to keep him safe."

Taken by the vixen's emotional outburst, the others simply sat there waiting for her to speak again…

Krystal paused for a moment. "Mika, Vixy, and Randy are all staying here on Sauria," she continued. "Silver, Roxy, Nick, and Sia…are all going to Titania," she said. "And Jeff is coming with me to the Gate Station where we'll meet up with Vanity…apparently the General has had just about enough of all this shit."

Jeff thought for a moment. "Listen Krystal, I really think you should rethink this and…"

"No second thoughts. Just get where you all need to go," she interrupted him. "I'll be waiting here. There are some things that I need to get done before we leave for the gate station."

As the vixen's image cut out the team looked to one another. "She's trying way too hard," Mika said.

"True enough…I think she's just trying to cover for Fox," Roxy said.

Jeff sighed. "She's no leader…I don't mean to insult her, but her abilities make this far too hard on her. She doesn't feel the same things we do. She feels the same emotions, but on a level greater than we'll ever know. The kinds of pain we feel she feels a hundred times over. I may end up having to tell her the truth before she's ready for it."

Roxy thought for a moment. "I keep hearing you mention 'the truth'. What the hell are you talking about?"

Jeff looked to the pink-furred lapin. "Well…I'll just say that she's not in the greatest physical condition at the time being."

"If she's sick she really shouldn't be out there where she could get hurt," Roxy replied.

Jeff sighed. "Well…I'll talk to her about it as soon as I can," he said. "I think right about now we should all get going though."

The crew that was there finished their meal before heading to the docking bay, leaving Randy and Mika aboard the Nemesis to wait for Vixy's arrival. It was as Mika stood by that the only human left there turned with a sigh and headed off into the ship. Mika sighed to herself…

"What the hell is his problem?" she asked herself looking out to the space outside the docking bay only to notice a small device lying on the ground. It was a round metal device concealing a glass tube with a hypodermic protruding from one end. "The fuck is this thing?" she asked herself sniffing at the thing. "Hmm…Creed?"

She questioned about what the thing was. It smelled like Creed, but it also smelled like one of the humans that lived on the ship as well. After studying it for a moment, the minx turned and headed into the halls. She wasn't certain, but for some reason she believed that Randy would know something about it. She stopped on her way through the door of the docking bay. Mika stopped and looked to the space that floated outside the ship. She could only hope that her friends were all okay…and that they'd all return safely…

*******

A small group of animals gathered in a large room in front of an elaborately decorated desk. A dark figure sat at the other end of the desk with his chair turned away from the group. The small gathering only consisted of six animals, two of whom were a gray furred coyote and a gray furred hare…

"I'd like ta thank ya for fixing ma paw sir," the hare said looking over his once severed paw.

"It will take some time for its neural network to accept yours and for your motor skills to fully return," The animal in the chair replied.

Reiko looked to a rather tall animal to his left whose entire body was covered by a black body suit. "What's the plan now?"

"I'm certain that those fools think that they intercepted that transmission accidentally," the mysterious animal said. "You know what your mission is Victor?"

The creature in the black suit simply nodded. "Yes, sir. The white vixen then?"

"Yes…I want her here and alive…and do NOT harm her."

With a light bow, the animal in the black outfit headed out of room. "As for you Reiko, I have a mission for you," he said. "Those animals have a ship that belongs to Omni, _The Nemesis_. There is something on board that ship that is still very important to me, and I'd like it back. It's nothing but simple data hardwired into the ship's core memory drives. Don't bother approaching anyone, just get the data and get out…understand?"

"Yes," the gray furred coyote replied. "What about the attack though?"

"Leave that to me and my men…" the animal said still with the back of his chair facing them. "…Nobody knows this star system or Star Fox better than I do. Just do your job."

Reiko growled at the thought of being a common lap dog. "Yes sir."


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author Notes: **Okay here's chapter 9. Shattered Hopes is coming out a bit slower than I'd like it too. The next chapter should come along shortly but, soon...that is within the next month or so I'll be relocating from California to Texas...some nowhere town called Cliffton, anyhow. That may delay my writing a bit so if you experience any unusual lag within that time don't worry I'm not in the habit of starting what I don't intend to finish. Also, I've been requested to work on some of my other fics, so...If you'd like to give me your input on any that you'd prefer to have me work on, now is the time to let me know...thank you..._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox

* * *

  
_

……**Chapter 9……**

*******

**Sauria two days later…**

*******

Randy's feet were frozen in the thick snow that blanketed the Snowhorn Wastes. Fortunately, on Third Earth the human was used to a similar environment. He sighed as he looked about a large, open area where the only thing other than he was a dead and frozen tree. He scanned the area; it was nothing but white and desolation everywhere. In the far off distance he could hear the trumpeting of several Snowhorn Mammoths…however, there was something about the place that he didn't really like. Suddenly Randy placed his hand over his ear…

"Something off about this place," he said quietly. "If there isn't anyone here…they were."

Mika's voice came back. "Any idea who it was?"

"No clue…but…" he replied. "Whoever it was, they didn't stay long."

Mika sighed. "What about the tribes there?"

"Tried. Can't understand a damn thing they try to say," Randy replied. "I caught something about a Sharpclaw…whatever that is…other than that nothing."

Mika thought to herself for a moment. "Well the Sharpclaw aren't our problem…try to get back here before something bad happens."

Randy reached into his pocked before placing a small device in front of his right eye, a small scope. "I think we may already have a problem…" he said.

The device displayed a color spectrum not much unlike that of infrared. A massive number of off color footprints lay in the snow along with a long trail of what appeared to be a spattered liquid in the snow…

"Looks like there are more than we may have thought…" he said. "They dragged something through the snow…something that was bleeding pretty badly. Looks like it was some time ago. Judging by some of these footprints, it was probably some kind of canine…"

Mika paused. "Whatever it was…it's probably dead…there are a lot of meat eaters around here. Sharpclaws probably dragged the poor thing off…"

Vixy's voice came back as well. "Just come back…"

"You're the boss…" Randy replied. "Be right there."

As Randy made his way through the landscape he realized how absurd the planet's landscape was. One place was snowing madly, while another was raining, and another was as dry as a desert afternoon. He found the chaos of the place to be only set aside by its odd beauty. It would take him a short time to reach the small camp that his team had set up, which they'd set just between the Lightfoot Village and Thorntail Hollow in a small, easily missed glade where one of the Thorntail beacon fires gave them heat, light, and an adequate cooking source. The human stretched his back as he entered the small glade where the others were waiting only to have a set of sharp claws swipe at his face. He retaliated instantly, flipping the attack to its back where his hand instantly went to the creature's throat. His eyes instantly met with Mika's…

"Sorry…you're usually quieter than that," She apologized.

Randy pulled the minx to her feet. "I was trying to make it obvious that I was coming…and I shouldn't have been able to take you off your feet so fast. You might wanna work on that…or get a weapon."

The pale-furred minx brushed the dust from her fur. "I'm not very practiced with weapons. I was always taught that any fight I can't solve with my fists wasn't worth fighting."

Heading towards the fire, Randy inspected it. He found it odd that one tiny bush that lay on top of the beacon kept burning no matter what. "Jeff would love to get his hands on one of these Fire Weed things." He said changing the subject.

Vixy laughed. "Well, we could always get one for him. There's an entire tree of them out in the hollow."

Randy suddenly noticed that a cream-furred vixen was holding a shaking blue-furred kit that was keeping her face hidden in the jacket that Lia wore. "What's wrong with her?" he asked tilting his head toward the child.

"Poor dear's afraid of the dark." Vixy replied.

"She's been like that ever since Fox attacked us." Lia added.

Randy thought for a moment. "Then tell me again why you two came with us."

"Because I'm not staying up there by myself……" Lia said rubbing Terya's back. "…and I won't leave her alone."

It was after a short while that Randy sighed before standing up. "Well…I'm going to our drop ship to get some food."

Lia sighed after Terya whispered something to her. "We'll go with you…"

"Why?" Randy asked.

"Cuz she has to use the bathroom."

Randy sighed as he stood up. "Fine…come on then."

Lia seemed to stay close to the human as he made his way out into the hollow where a small cruiser sat near another beacon fire off by the end of the small stream that cut the land in half. The air was dense but fresh, even though the blue furred vixen child seemed unsettled by the place; understandable with what she'd seen last time she was there. The human suddenly held a hand out across the path that Lia walked as his eyes seemed to scan the whole place all at once. However, there was only silence in the hollow…

"What's wrong? I don't hear anything." Lia asked.

"Yeah…that's what I was afraid of," he said. "You two stay behind me."

It was as they walked that Terya pointed toward a tree. As she did that, a shadowy figure shot from the darkness running off toward Moon Mountain Pass…

"What the hell was that?" Randy asked.

"I don't know…" Lia replied. "Too big to be a Lightfoot, too fast to be a Sharpclaw."

Randy thought for a moment, quickly sheathing his sword. "Well…it's gone now…so do what you gotta and we'll get the hell outta here."

The three made their way onto the small ship, doing what they'd come to do before exiting. It was as they walked however that Lia stopped…

"Crap…" she said stopping. "…I left something on the ship," she said looking to Terya. "Listen, I need you to stay with him okay?" The little blue vixen looked to Lia and shook her head. "It's alright Terya. He won't hurt you…and I'll be right back. Just go with Randy."

The little blue fox approached the human pulling on his pant leg, gathering his attention before signaling for him to kneel down. Randy looked to Lia who simply shrugged her shoulders. The human sighed before kneeling down to the child's level…

"What is it kid?" he asked.

Terya looked deeply into the human's eyes before reaching her arms out to him…

Lia chuckled. "I think she wants you to carry her."

Randy sighed as he reached around the young vixen's waist, hoisting her up against his side where she clung tight to him. "I hope she doesn't get used to this," he said. "Just go get whatever it was you left behind and hurry back to the camp."

The human walked off toward the camp as Lia rushed off toward the ship. Luckily, Randy found that he was not far from the camp. He dropped his pack full of food and supplies and then gently sat the young Cerinian down who instead of walking to one of the two girls clung to his leg. Mika and Vixy giggled to each other causing the human to give them both an unpleasant look. He lifted the young blue vixen, handing her to Mika before heading toward a small sleeping bag next to the beacon…

"Here…" he said. "…I changed my mind…I'm going to bed."

The two animals were amazed at how quickly the human seemed to fall asleep. It was as they sat there that Lia finally made her way back into the camp, finding a seat near the others. She sat down and instantly noticed that Terya was not with them…

"Where…" she started before being shushed.

Vixy moved her finger away from her nose before tilting her head toward where Randy slept. The little blue vixen was curled up beside him, whether or not he was aware of it. Suddenly the little one's tail brushed against the human's one exposed arm causing him to quickly open his eyes. Randy sighed as he noticed the little one. It wasn't really an annoyed sigh, but he gently pulled the blanket from under the little one before draping it over her and rolling his back toward her, closing his eyes again…

Lia chuckled. "Softy."

"I think she likes him." Mika added looking through the pack of food that he'd brought.

"I think Mika likes him." Lia chuckled.

Mika dropped the pack of food, "Not a chance."

"You know…" Randy suddenly interrupted. "…just because someone's eyes are shut doesn't necessarily mean they're asleep."

Lia instantly looked to Vixy. "Hem…Um…"

Randy sighed as he closed his eyes again. "Huh…women."

Vixy slowly looked toward the human. "What was that?" she asked sternly.

Her only reply was a low mumble…

"Good…I think we can all use a little sleep…" the white vixen said.

Mika sighed. "You're right…I'll take first watch. You two get some rest."

After a few hours of a clear vigil, Mika turned her attention to the sound of someone climbing out of bed. She looked over to notice Randy sitting up. He looked as though he was thinking very strongly about something. And she could tell that it was bothering him as he'd constantly shift his focus from the little vixen next to him to the wide-open Thorntail Hollow beyond the trees…

"Something wasn't right about those footprints…" He suddenly said.

Mika was slightly taken off guard, as she wasn't aware he was speaking to her…

"From what you've all told me about these Sharpclaw people, they aren't exactly military masterminds."

"So? They're pretty stupid," Mika replied.

"Well there were only two of them…I'll give you that," he said. "But why drag off one bleeding animal…it'd take more than that to feed any number of them…and the trail of blood was too small to be any kind of large animal," he added tapping his upper lip with the index finger of the hand that rested under his chin. "And there were more prints on my way back," he said carefully climbing out of bed.

"Where are you going?" Mika asked as the human picked up his weapons and headed out toward Thorntail Hollow.

"To check something out…" the human replied. "Hopefully it's nothing, but I doubt it."

"Why doubt it?" Mika asked.

Randy chuckled as he looked back over his shoulder, "Cuz I'm just not that lucky."

Mika shook her head before covering Terya back up and taking her seat next to the fire again. She hoped Randy was wrong, but she had her own doubts however. Something told her that this entire plan was not going to go down the way Krystal had planned it out…

*******

**Kew City…**

*******

Creed's small team had been in the city for several days. Luckily the citizens of the place seemed far too busy to notice Alex during what time he happened to spend outside their tiny hotel room. It was hard enough smuggling him into the room the first time without running into an absurd string of questions. Jane hadn't said much at all after hearing Krystal blow up in the Nemesis' docking bay. The blue furred vixen was right, last time was a close call with Creed. Were he to have another attack, he might not come out so lucky. She never would have come along on such a potentially dangerous mission if for one moment she hadn't thought she'd never see Creed again. The young feline yawned heavily as she stretched her arms and slowly sat up in the small bed of the room. She'd slept in, even thought she'd asked to be woken up with the others. She took a moment to look around before noticing Alex sitting at a small table across the room near the only window with an open-mouthed look of surprise on his face…

Jane chuckled at the silly look on the human's face, "What?" She asked before looking down only to realize that she was dressed as she normally would before sleep…wearing nothing but panties. She looked up with a smile. "What? Never seen a pair of tits before?"

Alex managed to gather himself, realizing that she clearly didn't care about her current state of being, "No, I have…I'll just say that most human women aren't as……um……top heavy as you are."

Jane chuckled as she slipped on the tank top she'd worn the day before, "That's an odd way of complimenting a girl's figure."

"No…you've got a great figure, even as far a human's concerned…" Alex replied, "I'll just say that I'm not used to girls that are so comfortable with their bodies. Except for my ex, but that's another subject."

"So…" Jane said standing up and searching for her jeans, "She slept like this too?"

"Nope…less clothing…and in other men's beds."

Jane winced a bit. "Shit…um…sorry." She said after getting her pants on.

"Ehh…don't worry about it…" The human said looking back over a small device he was working on that lay on the table.

Jane rolled her neck a bit as she looked around the room, "Say…have you seen Creed?"

Alex pointed over his shoulder at the window with his thumb, "Went up to the roof on the fire escape."

"Hmm…I wonder what he's doing up there." Jane thought out loud.

Creed sat on the edge of the building overlooking what part of the city he could see from his elevated position as the sounds of the city's nightlife echoed from a small device that sat down beside him. The small radios was designed to pick up on all emergency frequencies, police, military, and any other hidden signals that were out there. He could hear the sounds of the crime that had always gone wild in this part of the city; sirens, screams, gunshots, all the things you wish you'd never be forced to wake up to. Despite all the sound however, the crimson-furred vulpine found some sort of peace in it all. It was odd he found himself thinking about a lot of things, primarily what would happen if that human's miracle cure didn't work. He thought however, even more deeply about what he'd do if it did work and the team actually made it through all this Omni business without ending up dead. He was certain that at some point Jane would want something from him he wasn't certain he could deliver, a deeper relationship. He'd based his entire life on being alone. He knew it was wrong, but he'd originally only given in to Jane's little crush, for the fact that he was, in a way, afraid of dying alone. Now however, there was a good chance according to Jeff that he would live after all. He'd found over the time they'd spent together however, that he liked having someone there…of course Krystal would always be there for him, but…to be honest with himself, he'd always wanted more to his life. He was flattered the first time he'd hear about Jane's little crush on him. After all, she was a very attractive young animal. Had they met at any other time, before losing his arms, he would have sought out a relationship with her. He found it odd how much his life had changed since meeting Krystal…were it not for the blue vixen, he was certain he'd never have even met Jane. He smiled as he chuckled silently to himself, every time he tried to think of something in particular he found his thoughts slipping off to the cheetah girl again…

"Looks like we've got something in common, eh Fox?" He asked looking up to the stars, "We've both lost our minds to a pretty face."

Suddenly a pleasantly angelic voice caught his attention, "Creed? Who are you talking to?"

He turned his head to get a good look at the cheetah. His mind sorted through everything he knew about her. She was kind, loving, smart as hell, and had a body most men would kill over…she was perfect…

"Nobody…just think'n out loud," He replied.

Jane made her way to his side taking her own seat, "Have you been feeling okay? Your heart I mean?" She asked worriedly.

Creed draped one large arm over her shoulders, "Don't worry about it…I feel fine. I haven't had a coughing spell in two days. Maybe that Jeff guy's miracle cure really did work."

Jane took the moment to pull herself closer to the large fox laying her head on his shoulder, "Good…" She smiled, "…I just managed to convince you that I wasn't some crazy, lovesick teenager. It wouldn't be fair to lose you so soon."

Creed chuckled, "To be fair, I never thought you were a lovesick teenager……just a little crazy." The vulpine suddenly winced as the point of the cheetah's elbow pinched his ribs. "Ow…okay I'm kidding."

"Pick anything up on the scanner yet?" She asked changing the subject.

Creed sighed. "Yeah…only one. Something about an unregistered ship in the star port on the other side of town."

"Scout for Omni?" Jane replied.

"That's what I'm thinking…" Creed agreed. "Or more like a small group to spread a little chaos before the big guns get here. There's been a big spike in the crime level around the city since the last time I was here."

"Where'd you get that info?" Jane asked.

"A couple old friends of me and Krystal's…" He said. "Never really seen their faces. All I know is that they're married and are some of the greatest hackers I've ever known. We don't even know their real names. We were only told to call them Hecs."

"Wait…like the hecatoncheires encryption code Beltino created?"

Creed nodded, "Pretty much."

Jane chuckled nervously, "Nobody understands that code…it's a one thousand point encryption. There's no way through it. I've tried a million and one times…"

"Well they have…they're both former students of his," Creed explained, "They keep hidden from everyone. Apparently one of them found an odd code fragment in one of Corneria's defense satellites only to find out they'd hacked into a government security network the people aren't supposed to know about."

"What kind of security network?"

"The illegal kind…the kind that invades privacy," Creed replied, "Apparently they tried to do something about it a long time ago and nearly got killed."

Jane thought for a moment, "Wait…invasion of privacy. You mean a watcher program that makes the satellite one big telescope right?"

"Yeah…" Creed replied, "Why?"

"Wait a second. What if it isn't the Cornerian government?" Jane moved away from Creed for a moment.

"What?" Creed asked standing up.

"Creed…" She said, "What would you say if I told you I think it's Omni that has the watcher system hidden in our satellites?"

"The incident had been over 20 years ago…which would mean that Omni was no new company they'd been planning this for a very long time," Creed replied, "I can see why you'd think that…hang on…" He said turning on another line to his communicator, "Yo, Hecs you getting all this?"

"Yeah C, I hear ya…" A distorted voice replied, "I'll check into that program's source again, but if we get caught again I'm placing you with full responsibility got that? Cuz if it really is Omni behind that system, I really don't wanna get caught fucking with their program."

"Yeah…get back to me ASAP," Creed replied, "Jane, I hope you're wrong."

"So do I…" The feline replied, "Come on, we need to call Krystal about this. She's with Beltino right now. If we give him Hecs' com channel they can get through those systems a lot faster."

With Jane's theory firmly under the scope, the two headed down to the room where Alex was still waiting. If Jane's theory was right, then it was possible that Omni had these programs in a number of planetary defense systems, which meant they could have an advantage on the military by knowing every step they'd make. They could only contact Beltino and Krystal and hope that this could be changed if it were true…

*******

**Beltino Orbital Gate Station…**

*******

Krystal groaned. The medication she'd been given didn't really help the cramps nor the migraine she'd been experiencing. Luckily however, the headaches seemed to be going away for the most part. She liked the sick bay at the station much more than the one on the Nemesis. This one's walls seemed to be made of some sort of synthetic white material that felt like plastic, but had the consistency of steel. The air was fresh and cool as well. As she sat there Jeff looked over several test results on a clipboard before passing it to a short green toad in a white lab coat. The two were quite far away from the ill vixen who still sat there with her paw on her forehead. Her eyes shut tight against the pain the light caused in the back of her head. Finally Beltino made his way to the vixen's side…

"How are the headaches?" He asked.

"They're getting better…thank you Beltino."

The short toad pulled off his thick, square glasses, "Well my dear…I'm afraid the headaches are no more than stress related. As for your stomach…give it some time and get plenty of rest. A cold glass of milk often helps. Other than that I can only give you this." He said handing her several small capsules.

"What are these?" She asked.

"Just in case you have any trouble sleeping," Beltino replied, "For now try to get some rest…God only knows how much longer you'll have a chance at it."

Beltino sighed as the vixen slowly walked out of the room. He looked to Jeff with an uncertain expression…

"So?" Jeff asked.

"I have to say that your diagnosis was spot on…" The amphibian replied, "…though I am surprised you haven't told her yet."

Jeff shook his head, "I couldn't……not on a clear conscience," He said, "Look at what the stress is already doing to her. She hardly ever sleeps anymore, and her condition is only worsening."

"You know she's not stupid…Krystal will eventually put two and two together," Beltino said, "I understand your reasoning for not telling her…but what happens when the fighting starts? Her situation is no longer a matter as simple as life or death……she needs to know the truth."

Jeff sighed, "Fine…I'll tell her."

Just as Jeff headed out of the room, the PA speakers in the room sounded off, "Professor Beltino…there's an urgent transmission for you. I've routed it to your quarters sir."

"Thank you Margaret…please inform whoever it is that I'll be right there."

Because of the fact that Margaret hardly ever used the word 'urgent', Beltino was certain that whatever the transmission was for, it was of the utmost importance. The short toad followed Jeff down the halls, each of them most likely thinking of what was, without a doubt, going to pan out into a massive conflict between possibly the entire Lylat system and Omni. The two stayed together, not saying a word until they reached their quarters, which were generally in the same part of the giant space station. Jeff knew what he had to do, but he was certain that Krystal needed her rest. He decided that he'd tell her at a later time when the vixen woke…

*******

Far away from the standard life of the space station, there sat a lonely place, dark and tucked away where few members of the station's many crewmen ever really wandered, a place seldom used and even less visited. Here, in a small, dark cell, a chestnut-furred vulpine lay practically motionless, his only sign of life a clearly sadistic smile that never seemed to wane. As he lay there, the animal's eyes fluttered for a moment before he slowly sat up. The room was not the same. It was not the same metallic thing that he'd seen before. The walls were of an off-colored white, and the bed was reasonably more comfortable, and instead of bars of metal, there was a luminescent screen of red light that separated the interior of the cell with the rest of the room, and on the other side stood a bright-red-furred vixen who glared at him menacingly…

"I really didn't believe her…" She said in a light tone, "But your eyes are different. Won't make anything better though. As soon as I find out how…I'm going to kill you."

Fox sat down on the bed that hung from the wall, "Good……If I'm dead I can't cause any more pain," He said lowering his head, "I don't know what it did to you…but I'm sorry. I tried to isolate myself from all contact with others, but apparently it didn't work."

Jade's eyes burned with fresh tears, "My team……my family. We followed a distress signal down to that planet. We thought someone was in trouble…and we found you."

Fox looked to the other side of his cell where he could see what appeared to be a shadowy version of himself, "More like we found them…wouldn't you agree?" It smiled.

"You killed my entire family," Jade said angrily not seeming to notice the dark figure or pay any heed to its words, "You took everything from me…and you think you can make it better with apologies."

"Aww…" The shadowy figure said approaching the screen of light, "…I think you hurt her feelings."

It wasn't that she didn't notice the animal; she couldn't see him at all. He was standing right in front of her face talking, and she wasn't even acknowledging his existence…

"Can't you feel it?" The dark one said, "Her pain?" It shuddered, "Her sorrow? We're two of a kind, you and I," It said. Fox was too frightened to reply. He was afraid he'd lost his mind. "All our existences we've strived on the death of the weak. Is it not what you refer to as 'the law of the jungle'? Eat or be eaten…I believe is the proper term." Its sadistic smile continued.

"I think you should go miss," Fox said shakily to the young vixen, "Please."

Jade exhaled through her nose angrily, "Why should I listen to you?"

"IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE…THEN PLEASE LEAVE!!!"

Caught off guard by the distress in his voice, Jade fell a few steps back before finally walking out of the room…

The dark figure smiled, "Why do you distress over such meaningless lives McCloud?"

Fox snarled at the thing, "What the hell are you and why are you in my head?"

The creature's booming laughter sent chills down the vulpine's back and tail, "What indeed?" It replied, "What are any of us really? Are you really some mass of organic matter made up of billions of living cells? For all you know there is no here or now. As far as existence is concerned, you and I are at no more than words twisted by the whim of some mad man with a pen and a bit of parchment. Can you really vouch for your own existence with any proof that it is the truth?"

The creature, whether there or not, was clearly out of its mind, "I guess asking questions is pointless then."

"It always has been…" It replied, "Tell me. Why is it that you fight so hard and yet you refuse to accept the nature that burns inside of you?"

"What nature?" Fox asked.

"That little voice that keeps telling you to go for the soft spot just between the third and fourth rib," It replied, "For one that's built his life around the death of others…you're quite hypocritical. You do nothing but end life only for the hope that you do so for the proper cause, yet you condemn and kill those who do the very same thing. Your kind is no better than the humans who trapped me inside that stone you bare."

"But…this thing was found on Cerinia." Fox said brushing his fingers over the shard in his chest.

The creature chuckled evilly, "Oh, I'm certain it was…I recall a human a very long time ago. His body was weak, but I've never possessed a stronger mind. My conquest with that body led me to parts of this galaxy that mankind had at that time scarcely dreamt of." It sighed, "Unfortunately, these……Cerinians……became an incredible nuisance. Dealing with creatures like humans, I was not planning to deal with any race with a considerable amount of power. Especially not one with enough power to trap me in that stone." The animal smiled. "Luckily enough, that fellow Arlex was harboring enough ill will toward those blue curs to give me a boost, if you will."

"Boost?"

"It had been centuries since my last taste of pain…Oh how he was rife with it…" It said, "You've tasted it for yourself, even your own is burning inside of you. It is a thing you'll never really forget. Recall how good it felt dispatching that avian fellow that held you below the base on Corneria. Did it not feel grand ending his miserable life?" Fox was stunned, "What is that doubtful look for? Do you think that I would spend all this time in your head without learning a bit of your past? I've been in your head McCloud……you enjoyed it, and why not…after all, he had it coming did he not? I've seen your desires…you wish for these Omni fools to be destroyed. Well then I have a…proposition for you. I can make you strong enough…strong enough to do anything. I also know the truth about the one that leads their organization and I happen to know that you'll never kill him."

"Freaks like you don't do favors," Fox replied.

The creature sneered, "Oh…there will be plenty in allowing you control of my strength…plenty for me." The creature laughed evilly, "Plenty!"

Within that instant, the shadowy figure seemed to dematerialize into thin air. It was as Fox's mind became clear that he now heard that the animal's horrible laughter was replaced by the sound of an emergency alarm that shot through the entire station. Only a few moments later, the fox's footing tossed about as he fell to the floor, only to watch the screen of light ahead of him to flicker on and off before finally phasing out entirely. Fox strode out of his cell and looked around making certain there were no injured animals nearby that needed help. There was no way he could trust the creature he'd spoken to, or was it all in his head? Simply being driven mad by the constant thought of all the innocent animals he'd killed. Despite all that however, he had control of himself, even if only for the moment. He had to get away from the space station. He wondered what was happening but instantly came to a conclusion…Omni was attacking. Realizing this, Fox rushed off down the halls. As he did so several more times the station rocked under a tremendous impact of some kind. As he rushed down the familiar halls of the Gate Station however, two soldiers suddenly turned to him, each aiming a weapon at the fox…

"FREEZE!!!" One shouted turning to his communicator, "We have an escaped prisoner! What should we do sir?!"

In an instant reprisal to the threat, Fox spun in place, his kick robbing both animals of their weapons. He had no need to explain himself, and he highly doubted that they'd believe him if he did. The two of them rushed him. One swung a baton at his head only to have the vulpine's skull stop it in place…there wasn't even a twitch of pain. Taking the animal by the wrist, Fox pulled the animal toward him, ducking as the soldier was sent flying over his shoulder until being stopped by the far wall where he slid to the ground injured and unconscious. The other soldier quickly took a more lethal approach, taking out a small side arm and firing it into the vulpine's chest several times. Fox simply looked at his chest as the wounds sealed shut. He smiled slightly before reaching out and taking the barrel of the animal's gun in his paw, his grip instantly collapsing the barrel on top of itself. Fox looked at the weapon with a look as shocked as that of the solider. The animal attempted to punch him only to have Fox duck under the punch and then take the animal by the back of his shirt. Fox was amazed at his own strength as he lifted the animal off the ground. He was as light as a feather. Fox had always been strong, but never like this. What would have taken at least some amount of force before he found took nothing at all. Before the soldier had the opportunity to try anything however, the animal found himself hurled through the air with ease. Fox was even more amazed at how far the animal soared before landing on his back several yards away and sliding a considerable distance. Fox stood there for a moment looking at his paws. Where did the strength come from? In fact, he could have sworn that the two attacking him were moving a lot slower than they should have been, or maybe he was just seeing things. He thought for a moment as he rushed through the halls. Whether or not he had control over himself now was not the matter. There was no way of knowing when he'd lose it again, and even worse, there was no way of telling who he'd hurt this time. It was as he rushed through the halls with the siren warning the space station's crew of the attack that Fox heard a voice carrying from the station's PA system…

"Warning!" It blared, "Cell breach in Brig Level 21, Cell Block 35. Escapee considered a level ten threat. Extreme caution advised. All available personnel pursue through sector 88 of the living quarters."

It was almost an instant before a small rush of animals could be heard rushing through the halls. Fox took his chances and ducked into a nearby room. There was nothing in the room, but unfortunately there was someone in the room's bathroom He tried his hardest to look for a place to hide before the door to the bathroom hissed open. Stunned, Fox backed against the wall only to see a familiar vixen rush out of the bathroom dressed in a even more familiar blue and black flight suit. The cerulean-furred vulpine instantly turned to face him, gasping in surprise at the animal's presence…

"Fox?" She asked, "Fox…is that you?"

The panicked vulpine instantly turned, rushing out of the room running down the halls. Krystal rushed behind him shouting his name, trying anything to only get him to turn around. She knew it was him this time, she could actually feel his mind now…but something was wrong. He wasn't his normal self. He was panicked and somewhat frightened about something. Whatever his reasoning, her cries to him fell on deaf ears as the chestnut-furred vulpine's body slammed into a small group of soldiers causing several of them to be tossed quite violently aside while the others were pushed away from their position with great force. As Krystal sprinted after Fox she suddenly lost sight of him only to find a slightly injured scientist, a severely terrified tigress that leaned against a wall…

"You saw him didn't you?" Krystal demanded, "Where did he go!?!"

The tigress grasped at her throat, "He wanted the coordinates to the enemy mother ship…and ran that way. Fourth door on the left," She explained pointing down the hall.

"What's in that room?" Krystal asked helping the scientist to her feet.

"Transmitter Device…"

Krystal's eyes doubled in size before she rushed down the halls stopping at the door only to find that the door's lock had been overridden from the inside. The blue vixen shouted to Fox as she slammed her fists into the door over and over before she was joined by the tigress from down the hall. The scientist pulled the palm scanner to the door loose digging into the wires, quickly doing what she could. As the feline fiddled with the wires, there was an arc of electricity and the sound of the doors sliding open…it was too late. As Krystal rushed into the room, she could see Fox standing on a small platform with a round, flat surfaced device several feet overhead. There was a low toned hum as the device's systems powered up. The blue vixen rushed toward him, but as it seemed she'd be within arm's reach, a burst of purple light flashed through the room, the bright flash causing the vixen and tigress to shade their eyes. As Krystal finally opened her eyes, her heart sank. Fox was gone. It was only a few minutes later that Krystal was ready to get her Arwing into the air when Jeff walked by and tapped her on the shoulder…

"Come on…they're calling off the attack." He said.

"What? Why?" The vixen replied.

Jeff stopped, "Don't know. Apparently Omni suddenly stopped attacking the station."

Krystal sighed, "First Fox, and now this. Let's go talk to Beltino…I wanna know what the hell is going on around here."

The two made their way out of the docking bay, their minds trying hard to wrap around what had happened today. Why had Omni attacked only to call it off? And what was going to become of Fox? They continued through the halls, completely unaware of what was happening merely a moon's distance from the massive Gate Station…

*******

**Titania Surface…**

*******

Nick, Silver, Roxy, and Sia had only recently found a place to keep cool in the insane desert heat, a small cavern in a large rock face. However, it was as they all rested, still waiting for what was to come, that Nick noticed something about Sia, who stood at the cave's entrance looking up at something. Nick, curious of what was going on approached the young husky…

"Sia…what're you…" He paused as he looked to the clear sky, "…looking at," He finished, "You guys might wanna come get a look at this."

As Silver and Roxy joined the two, they all looked out across the desert, only to see two large ships closing in for a landing. Several small fighters shot by overhead. Nick took Sia by the shoulder as he lead the other three back into the cave…

"We gotta get to our ships," Nick said, "We gotta get the fuck outta here. There's no way we can hold up against something like that."

There was nothing more they could do. They were trapped. Were they to try flying out of the atmosphere, they'd be dead as soon as they got off the ground. At this point their only hope was to get to their ships and get a transmission to Krystal and the others before they were discovered and killed.

*******

**Unknown Omni ship…**

*******

The docking bay of the large ship that had fired on the Gate Station was silent until several animals took notice of a small spot of purple light. It flickered and pulsated at an increasing rate before a light-chestnut furred figure slowly faded into view. The animal shook his head and looked like he was attempting to slow his breathing for a moment…

"Wow, that felt fuck'n weird." He said.

"I found it quite exhilarating," The dark voice replied, "Oh dear, it looks as if you've offended the local natives."

Fox froze as he was surrounded by animals baring assault rifles and blasters. The vulpine stood there as several of the surrounding animals approached him with their weapons ready. Fox waited until they were close, and as soon as one was in range, he swiftly swayed away from the barrel of the rifle the animal held positioning himself at the animal's back. There Fox took a hold of the animal's other paw, forcing his finger into the trigger, the rapid fire of the weapon tore several animals to shreds before the weapon ran dry. By this time Fox's shield had been riddled with bullets. He threw the body to the floor and rushed into the fray. Though the gunfire went wild around him, there was no pain, no blood…Fox had measured this plan out completely. No matter how many bullets they fired, or how many different weapons they used, he would take them all out and not put another innocent in danger doing it. The first animal to challenge him met a kick that slid him across the ground and into a far off crate. The attack was followed by a spin kick that's impact slammed the sole of Fox's boot into the animal's jaw casing its head to rotate a full180 degrees on its neck while sending him spinning through the air. As Fox spun to meet another attacker, the last animal's weapon fell from the air which Fox snatched, then laid it into the side of another's head with a force that caused the rifle's segments to separate and fragment flying through the air, the impact sending a large spray of blood which spattered across another animal's face blinding him. The back of the blind animal's head was then met with a small kick that dragged him to the ground where Fox's foot drove an ever-increasing weight onto the animal's skull. The poor creature under Fox's boot screamed in pain before a rifle of some kind shattered against Fox's head causing him to change his attention to a now stunned and frightened wolf. The single punch that Fox threw struck at the center of the lupine's chest, instantly causing the wolf's mouth to shower him with blood as his sternum and ribs collapsed. Suddenly a short burst of bullets tore into the side of Fox's head…at first the vulpine panicked, but again there was no pain. The group of animals that were left all gasped as the missing section of the vulpine's face and skull seemed to rematerialize…

Fox felt the once missing side of his face and let out a rather unsettling chuckle as he pulled a familiar black combat knife from his back. Fox dashed toward a small group of the animals, his knife along with the claws of his other paw tore into any animal unlucky enough to be caught in his path. The first being a short raccoon whose body was met by both claw and steel, Fox's blade embedding itself in his skull as his claws seemed to rip at the animal's throat. A nearby young vulpine was next along with two others. An absurdly powerful kick sent the young fox into a cartwheel, dead before his body could find the floor, while Fox's knife slashed into another's neck completely removing the animal's head. As the claws of Fox's other paw plunged into another of the animals' gut before tearing his paw free causing the animal to fall to his knees attempting to hold in his entrails. Another animal rushed Fox from behind, but he instantly turned into a rapid spin which ended with him driving his heel into the side of the animal's head, the impact caused the attacker to fall to the ground with a portion of it's spine protruding through the side of it's neck. By now several animals had been smart enough to make a hasty retreat, but several still remained. One ran but was quickly stopped as the point of a black blade burst from between his eyes, the force of the thrown knife driving his body into a wall before landing on the ground. The last five charged Fox all at once, but their error would prove as fatal as any of the others. One kicked at the vulpine's head, an attack that was captured by Fox's right paw. With a firm hold on the animal's leg, Fox whipped him into the air swinging him violently into another animal sending the second flying a considerable distance before his body collided with the blade of a small ship's wing cracking the animal's spine. Fox's second target however managed to dodge an overhead attack which caused the still living weapon in Fox's paw to practically burst upon impact with the unforgiving metal floor. The remaining three all fired at Fox at once, their bullets ripping into his flesh until several shots caused his legs to give out, forcing him to fall to his back. As soon as the gunfire stopped however, Fox sat up before rolling forward toward an unsuspecting gunman, kicking his weapon from his paws. Fox quickly stood performing a spinning kick to the weapon as it flipped through the air, its path driving its barrel into the chest of another of the animals. The current animal that stood in front of him threw one punch, however Fox caught him by the wrist, and in a hope of getting his arm free the animal threw another punch which fell to the same problem. With both of the animal's arms in a firm grasp Fox leaped up driving both feet into the creature's chest. The animal screamed in agony as his body separated from his arms, sliding across the ground before coming to a violent stop against a small stack of large crates. The last of the animals simply stood there far too frightened to do anything. His body quivered as he gazed at the carnage that had befell his companions. Fox smiled as he turned toward the quaking animal. He was a very young looking echidna, with bright red fur and long red dreadlocks. As he approached the animal he noticed one just in his path who had removed a weapon that's barrel was once lodged in his chest. As the animal crawled away however, the echidna watched on as, without taking his eyes off of the Echidna, Fox drove his foot into the back of the injured one's neck crushing his spine. At this sight, the young red-furred Echidna's face began to streak with tears. He'd never even been to battle before, never seen a dead body. Inside his head he begged his legs to move, yet he was paralyzed with fear. Finally he found Fox's crushing grip closing around his throat. The young animal could feel his feet leave the ground as it became ever increasingly hard to breath. It was however the animal's choked sobs that finally caused Fox to shake his head. It was those tear-drenched blue eyes that reminded him so much of Krystal's that caused Fox himself to freeze. It was as he looked at the animal's face that the echidna noticed a decrease in the pressure around his neck…

"P-please…" The young animal managed to utter from under Fox's powerful grip.

The sound of his young voice caused Fox to lower his head as his grip released causing the young animal to fall to his knees gasping for air, "Get the fuck outta here kid." Fox said gently before turning and heading off through the ship.

The ensuing bloodshed led to Fox standing in a sea of blood surrounded by the slash-riddled bodies of the animals that once occupied the docking bay. The vulpine slid his knife back into its small scabbard at the small of his back as he noticed a familiar voice seeming to echo from every part of the now empty docking bay…

It chuckled deeply, "Doesn't it feel absolutely enthralling?" It asked, "The rush of battle, the warm caress of their blood…" Fox wiped a bit of blood from his face, "You can deny it all you like, but like Arlex, you will come around. You will learn the true depth of your love for death…just as the others did. You enjoy the thrill of battle already……you cannot hide your hunger for long."

"You're wrong…" Fox replied, "…but these people deserve what they have coming."

"Then why spare the young one's life?"

"Because…it was my choice."

The voice's laughter echoed through the docking bay, "Oh really?" It asked, "And who are you to judge what others do and do not deserve? You are no better than I or any other…your way is the right way and all others are wrong who believe otherwise. What makes us think this way?" it asked pausing for a short while. "Because they are weak and we are not. This is the way it has been since the dawn of time itself…the strong live, the weak die. It is…nature."

Fox sneered at the unseen presence, "Let me make this perfectly clear……even if it means accepting help from someone……some 'thing' like you, it's worth it to keep them all safe."

"Oh of course…" The voice chuckled, "Sacrifice self, protect the masses. That is of course the life of the so-called 'hero'…is it not?"

"I'm no hero…" Fox replied as he began to walk through the halls, "…I just want to do what's right…it's all I've ever wanted to do."

"There is a thin line between right and wrong McCloud…" The voice replied, "Which side will you find yourself on in the end?"

"Just shut up."

Fox made his way through the halls of the unfamiliar ship. Even from his point on the inside he could tell the gargantuan ship was much larger than normal. The hall that Fox stood alone in was more than ten feet high by about eight wide. Several different animals noticed him in the halls, but noticing the vulpine they turned tail falling back down the halls. Fox wondered what was going on…why were they suddenly retreating? Were they all watching what happened on the docking bay? Nonetheless, this gave the vulpine an open path to the ship's bridge. The halls seemed never ending, and as he walked along them, a gathering of animals seemed to follow behind him. Fox eventually found himself standing before a large set of double doors marked with the word 'Bridge'. The doors slid open seemingly of their own accord…

"Come in…" A voice called form the room, "The rest of you clean up that mess he left in the docking bay."

Fox entered the room as all the animals following him seemed to leave. It was a massive room with but a single seat at its center with a number of holographic screens around it, one of which seemed to display an image of the space around the ship…

"Welcome…that was some show you put on back there," The person in the seat said.

"If you want to live, turn this ship around and get out of Lylat." Fox replied.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that just isn't going to happen," The animal said. "I belong here." He said spinning his seat about.

Fox froze in place. He'd never imagined he'd see that face again. It was a face he was all too familiar with, but one he'd all but forgotten…

"Dad?"


	10. Chapter 10

**_Author Notes:_ _Sorry to say this all but......I'll be relocating tomorrow so, this will be the last Shattered Hopes chapter for a short while. However, I've sent Crafty Lefty chapter 11 for editing, so that once I can get back on I'll be able to submit the chapter. As for anyone wondering about it I have another chapter of Love Potion and Relaxation almost ready to submit, so that I can hopefully make up for my inevitable absence. Don't forget to R&R, and thanks for the constant support..._**

**_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox _**

……**Chapter 10……**

Mika suddenly sat up. Vixy had taken up the lookout for the night allowing the pale furred minx some much-needed rest for the night. She was happy to find that there was still food left over from the night beforefor breakfast. However, something did bother her…it was late in the night when Randy had left them, and he still wasn't back. She was certain that something was wrong, however she realized that without any sort of clue on where he went, there was no way of knowing where to look for him. It was as the entire group seemed to wake up that Mika found herself worrying the most…

"Anyone seen Randy?" Lia asked.

Mika thought for a moment. "I did last night. Said something wasn't right about the footprints he found yesterday and just walked off. Couldn't have been anything good though, he took his weapons."

"Maybe he sees something we don't…" Vixy said. "Living with Fox's father I learned that people that train themselves for certain situations can often see things that can escape normal eyes."

"Well hopefully he's safe and not getting himself into trouble that he can't handle."

*******

A ways away, the human looked out over a small camp. It seemed to be a new development as several buildings were still under construction. There were several different types of Saurians there, the majority of them being large Sharpclaw soldiers. It was one individual in particular that stood out as he stopped, somehow speaking with several of the Sharpclaw soldiers. It was a human, slightly shorter than Randy himself. His skin was darker than Randy's like Alex's, and his build was slightly heavy though quite muscular for his size. Randy's hand seemed to tighten around the handle of his sword involuntarily before he removed the small telescopic lens from in front of his right eye. His feet were practically frozen. For some reason this area of the Snowhorn Wastes were covered by a perpetual blizzard of some kind. It was as the human stood there that he shot about driving his sword into a nearby tree. His eyes instantly met with a pair of familiar looking green eyes. The point of the blade had missed the animal's head so slightly that were there not so much snow, he'd have seen the few white hairs of fur fall from the animal's face…

"What are you doing here?" he sneered before looking back to the small base, disappointed when he could no longer spot the human among the ranks.

"Terya was worried…"

"Either way you may not want to sneak up on me like that again…" he replied. "You blend in really well with all this snow."

The white-furred minx suddenly stepped into view. "Why did you run off like that?"

"It's personal…besides that…" the human said. "Krystal told me that there was a group of Cerinians that were living here right?"

"Yes but they were all killed," Mika replied.

Randy sighed. "Wrong. There are several survivors in that camp. Not to mention someone I have to say hello to."

"Is this really something that we need to be concentrating on when this planet could be under attack at any moment?" Mika asked.

Randy sighed again handing the Minx the small monocular he was using, which she used to look at the base. "You see a human?"

As she looked about the base Mika stopped. "Yeah……he looks kinda like Alex, he's just shorter."

"He's been working for Omni…" Randy pointed out. "This place is already under attack."

Mika thought for a moment. "That's him isn't it? Victor."

"Yeah…that's him."

Mika sighed. "You're gonna fight him aren't you?" she asked. "What about the others?"

Randy took back his monocular. "Just go back…"

"What is it you hate so much about this guy?" she asked.

"If I answer that will you go back to the others?"

Mika sighed. "Couldn't hurt your chances any…"

"Fine……" Randy replied. "That piece of shit killed my family, took the sword that he's carrying, which was my father's, and I'm pretty sure he used it to kill my family. He betrayed my best friend turning our team into outlaws in the eyes of everyone on 3rd Earth, and……"

"And what?" Mika asked.

Randy sighed. "Nothing more that you need to hear."

Mika tried to reply, but before she could think of a reply, the human vanished into the blizzard. She sat there for a moment, contemplating whether or not to rush after him. Something in the back of her mind told her she should follow after him even though her common sense told her she should head back and join the others, but what if he was right? What if there was no attack? That would mean the transmission they'd intercepted was a fake, which would mean someone in Omni wanted them to split up. The pale minx growled in frustration before pulling herself along behind Randy. She wasn't sure why, but something about this whole thing told her that it was where she needed to be. It was as she finally approached the small compound that something slammed her to the snow covered ground. She attempted to yell out but found a hand wrapped around her muzzle and a familiar voice from behind her…

"Shut up and stay down," the familiar voice whispered. "You should have gone back. Just stay right here they won't see you. Once the patrol passes head for the trees over to the east."

Before she could reply the human was already gone. He was right though; her fur made for a perfect camouflage in this dense snow. It was as she lay there that she could see several armored Sharpclaw soldiers clattering their way toward her location. It was as they finally stopped just a short distance from where she lay that they began chatting in a strange language…luckily however, after determining that they'd be on Sauria, Krystal had suggested downloading the translator that Slippy had developed long ago into their communicators…

"You sure you hear something?" one of the green-scaled animals asked.

"Yes…" the other complained.

Suddenly the two turned toward a sound in the bushes just a ways away only to see a small white rabbit leap out onto the snow. The small creature sniffed about, but retreated at the sight of the two lumbering Sharpclaw…

"Idiot!" the taller one yelled punching the other in the face. "It just bunny! Back to post or human have your head!"

Mika slowly pulled her face from the snow. "Krystal wasn't kidding…these Sharpclaw guys really are stupid."

She didn't waste any time in making her way to Randy's location. At first she didn't notice him, but eventually she did find the human perched in a nearby tree. He seemed to have his eyes fixed on something even though he managed to reach for Mika's paw pulling her up into the tree. As Mika looked out onto the base she noticed what it was that Randy was watching. It was a Sharpclaw much larger than the others. He was tall with dark-green scales and wearing what seemed to be some sort of tribal armor. He was missing his right hand, which was replaced by two metal hooks on a round metal base…

"I don't like the look of that one," the human said passing his monocular to Mika.

"He is kinda big isn't he?" she asked looking through the small spyglass. "He could be trouble if you go in there."

"He's no concern to me…" Randy said. "He's half lame…and his left leg is injured. My question is…who injured him?"

"Good question," Mika replied pausing for a moment. "Aren't you the least bit worried sitting out here like this?"

"Not really…" Randy replied taking the monocular from in front of his eye. "Hey Mika…"

"Yeah, what?"

"Sorry about this…" he replied quickly shoving the minx out of the tree, who plowed face first into the thick snow. "Just stay put, don't move."

Before Mika could make a sound the human impacted the snow just a few feet away from her, digging into the snow himself. When only his face was barely visible to her, Randy placed his index finger over his lips causing her to nod slightly. After a few moments they could hear the light crunch of snow under a bit of body weight. Two figures stepped by that Mika couldn't really make out considering she was buried in the snow. The two stopped some small ways away. It was the large Sharpclaw that was missing part of his arm, and the human they'd both spied on. As they stood there Victor looked about the area carefully…

"Are you certain?" the large reptile asked. "I see and hear nothing at all. Perhaps the puny human is simply paranoid," he chuckled only to be cut off at the point of a beautifully crafted sword.

The weapon's design was like that of Randy's though it possessed a golden tsuba and a long white wrapped handle which ended in a long white ribbon extending from it's pommel…

"Scales, need I remind you who is in charge here?" the human demanded, quickly swiping the tip of the blade across the animal's face leaving a bright red streak behind. "Let that be a warning…next time you question me…it's your head."

The reptile snarled. He measured high above the human and was much larger in build, but he clearly feared something about Victor. "My apologies. What is it you want me to do?"

Victor took a moment to sheath his weapon. "I just don't like this…feels too familiar. Like he's here…watching me," he said scanning the area again. "Double the guard around the base, set a patrol of five soldiers to circle the perimeter. And back away from me. Your breath smells like death himself."

"Why do you worry so much over one of your own?" Scales asked.

Victor sighed. "Because he's the only thing alive I've ever been afraid of," he admitted. "If he's here, you'll see why soon enough. Then again, maybe you won't. Chances are you won't even see him until it's too late. Not unless he wants you too," he said turning and leading the large reptile back toward the base.

After they were out of sight Randy quickly sat upright shaking the snow from his head as he looked toward Victor in the far off distance of the base. "That's the second time that prick's walked away with my sword…there won't be a third."

Mika suddenly sat up shivering as she rubbed her own arms. "I've got snow in my underwear…and I'm freezing my tail off."

Randy scoffed, "Don't know what you're complaining about……" he said slinking away. "You've got fur."

Not wanting another run in with the base's personnel, the two fell back away from the place a bit further, where Randy slowly began thinking up some way of getting to the human that was leading the Sharpclaw…

*******

**Gate Station…**

*******

Fox shot upright and found himself in the same cell he'd been in before. The same two guards stood outside the room. It had all felt so real. It couldn't have been a dream, it was simply too vivid. He looked about. His father was there, he'd seen him, heard his voice. The animals that had died; he felt the warmth of their blood flowing over his fur. Was there a possible way that it was all fake? It was as he sat there that the answer literally stared him back in the face from the shadows. He could only see the creature's shining smile and deeply unsettling eyes. There was a light chuckle…

"It was you…" Fox said. "The whole time. There was nothing real about it at all."

The creature suddenly displayed its conceptual grasp on reality as it seemed to walk up the far wall of the room. "You seem to still fail to grasp your position Fox McCloud. You should have found reason not to trust your little dream right away. After all, there are no pacts between gods and mortals."

At this time Fox noticed that the two guards had been trying to say something to him for some time, but their voices were as silent to him as death itself. "Why use the image of my father like that? Why torment someone that already wishes he were dead?" he asked. "What do you want from me?"

The shadowy creature cackled madly. "I want? What can it be that I may want?" it replied. "Is it not obvious enough for you yet?" it smiled. "I want you to hate; to utterly and unequivocally despise every creature in this universe. Show me the seething hatred that I know you carry in your heart for all the things that can have the things that you cannot," it said. Fox found himself suddenly lost in the creature's soulless eyes as it stepped up to his face. "Hatred is the only answer Fox McCloud……there is nothing but hate. Every creature is capable of great good, true, but how many actually choose that beaten path? As life predicts, humankind struggles to keep from destroying itself…and like mankind, you people have the same chaotic nature; always killing and destroying anything that's even the slightest bit different than yourselves. You and the humans are truly creatures after my own heart," it said. "Question time. What do you think may happen when those guards finally open this door? If you'd like the truth, that little sedative or tranquilizer they keep using on us will only work so many times before the body simply rejects it. Though your body is veritably indestructible at the time we are together…you are still only mortal." It smiled demonically. "I intend to change that, but only in time. I will show you the true nature of your existence McCloud…before our time is done, you will know just what your kind is truly capable of."

Fox felt a bit strange as he staggered and felt that he was being forced to sit down. "You think you know us so well?" he replied. "You don't know a god damned thing. I've ended more lives than I could ever count…I've done things that I'll never be proud of, but despite what you say, my people and the humans, even after what they did to us, are still finding a way to work together…to stop a common enemy."

"Oh yes…the bold coalescence no?" It chuckled beginning to pace about the ceiling. "Do you really thing such a union can truly exist? I doubt even you believe so. As naïve as you are, you cannot possibly believe that a race that conceives itself as the only intelligent thing in creation could possibly cooperate with a race that they believe is inferior. What I showed you earlier was no coincidence either…though your father was only an image that I've extracted from your mind. Even one as great as he was never fully free of corruption. Whether or not you choose to believe me Fox McCloud, I've had my eye on you for some time now…I've also taken it upon myself to look into your history, and your father's…as well as Omni's while I was disguised as that fool Arlex. Did you know he was working for them just before he died? Your father?"

"That's a lie…my father would never work for someone like them," Fox replied still not quite sure why he felt so weak.

"Ah…but say your father wasn't the animal of righteousness you thought he was…" the tormenting animal said walking down onto the wall where he began to circle the room slowly. "Perhaps there was a chink in that divine paladin's armor that only he and a few others knew of," it said.

"Blackmail isn't the same as being bad in nature," Fox argued.

The creature stopped with his muzzle an inch or so from Fox's ear. "No? Then answer me this. If your father was so good…" It seemed to instantly appear in the same place at Fox's other side. "What secret was he trying to hide so badly that he would go to his own enemies to keep it from getting to the ones he loved? What could he have possibly done?" it asked, this time stepping down onto the bed that hung from the wall and sitting beside Fox. "Truth be told…you know absolutely nothing about the animal your father really was. True he attempted to make up for his sins in the end, but if one so great as James McCloud could fall to darkness, if even for a moment, is there really hope for the huddled masses?" it said finally standing up. "I will show you the truth just as I opened it to Arlex's eyes McCloud. You will learn that in the end……you cannot even trust yourself. I suppose I can leave you with these last brooding thoughts of all the ones that have done wrong by you and your little family…"

Though he didn't want to, his mind forced him to think of all the problems he'd seen. As much as he hated the thing that kept tormenting him, he realized that it made a point, one that he really didn't want to consider. He knew there was a reasoning behind the thing telling him all of these things, but he had no way of knowing what its cause was. As he sat there thinking about it all, his mind rushed from one thought to the next as he lay down. He had no idea why he felt so weak, but it seemed like the only thing he could do at the moment was lay down and keep to his own thoughts…

*******

**Titania…**

*******

Nick and Silver stood at the entrance of a large crevasse in a massive rock face, standing guard as the others lay down attempting to rest off their long hike through the night. It was much cooler inside the large nook that kept shade on the small group. Neither had a clue how long they'd been running, but they still stood guard…

"Why is it you don't get tired?" Silver asked the lengthy human.

"Ladiasmeladona. Lung disease…" Nick replied pulling up his shirt to show a small mesh of scars across the sides of his ribs. "My lungs are both Polyphnumatic, an electronic system that works off my brain's higher impulses. Basically they're artificial like Creed's arms, but they work like real lungs. My muscles eventually tire, but I can run as long as I like and never get winded." Nick chuckled.

"You're really smart." Silver said.

Nick laughed only to quiet himself before waking the others. "No I'm not…Jeff has just told me the details so many times that I've memorized them. When I look back on the way the human race used to be, I'm sort of glad Earth was destroyed. If not we never would have discovered all the medical breakthroughs that we have…and I wouldn't be standing here."

Silver looked out at Sol setting over the horizon. "It'll be dark again soon," he said. "I know where we might be safe though. It's where I've been leading us."

"Really? Where are we headed?" Nick replied sitting down.

Silver thought back, "When Roxy and Fox first found me, we came to this planet looking for a human artifact called a Pai-Yao dragon…it was really pretty."

"An authentic Pai-Yao Dragon?" Nick asked in amazement. "Wow…Jeff'd give his left everything for something like that…"

Silver smiled. "When we came to find it we found it in a large base down here. Fox said it was home to pirates. We were attacked by something Fox called an assassin there. It tried to kill Fox…but Fox fought better."

"You think these pirates will help us?" Nick asked. "Pirates in human history have never really been too trustworthy."

"No. I read history on the word 'pirate', and didn't really like what I found…" Silver said. "But right now they have the same problem we do. They'll want to protect their home…if we help them they may help us…"

"And if not we can at least find a place there where we can get a hold of a communicator…" Nick finished for the young vulpine. "You know what? From now on I'm gonna follow Alex's advice and take my Keizer with me whenever I leave a ship."

"So you'll always have a communicator on hand?" Silver asked.

Nick started fanning himself in hopes of cooling himself off. "NO!" he replied. "They've got on board cooling systems."

Silver laughed at the odd joke. "You're a very unusual person, Nick."

Nick smiled. "Hey, thanks."

"Very strange…" he finished to himself. "Well I think we should wake the others and get going…"

"You're right. It'll be dark here in a few minutes."

Silver made his way to the sleeping animals and shook Roxy attempting to wake her. The pink-furred bunny however simply swung an arm around his neck pulling him to the ground as she started to roll over. Silver took a moment before shaking her a bit more violently…

"Roxy wake up!" he called her.

The pink-furred rabbit groaned, "What?"

"We have to go."

Roxy sighed as she stood up. "I miss my bed."

Not long passed before the four found themselves continuing their trek through the vast desert landscapes of Titania, ducking behind a random rockface or sand dune to keep from being spotted by random sweeps the Omni ships came overhead now and again. It was confusing for all of them. What could they possibly be looking for? Nick stood up and signaled for the others to stand as well after another fighter shot by overhead…

"You think they know we're here?" Roxy asked.

Nick looked out over the horizon, which was pitch black as Sol had set so long ago. "Probably…I'm sure they've found our drop ship by now. Maybe they're actually here looking for us. After all you guys pretty much broke one off in their asses…I'm sure they aren't too happy about it." Nick chuckled.

"Broke what off?" Silver asked.

Nick sighed. "Sorry he's not too clear on that kind of metaphor…" Roxy explained.

Nick simply laughed to himself as they continued through the desert. The place was so much different than it was in the daytime. It was almost frigid, and there were a few creatures about that weren't seen during the daytime as well; spiders, snakes, and other small nocturnal creatures. As the group finally came over a large sand dune, Nick was quickly pushed back down the side of the hill. When he stumbled down he turned to yell at Silver, only to find the young vulpine's paw over his mouth while he signaled for the human to stay quiet. In another moment, Nick found that the silver-furred vulpine was already back up the dune and slowly waving for him to come up. When the human finally climbed to the top of the dune he realized why he was thrown down the hill and why at the moment they were both laying belly down in the sand. They had found the old base that Fox, Roxy, and Silver had been to before. It was overrun with Omni class ships. Several, including the one that had recently flown by overhead, were landing out in front of the place while a long list of animals were being still lead out of the base, each chained at the ankles to the one in front of him or her. It was as they watched this that a familiar sound caused the two to look off to the nearby dunes where an armed raccoon stepped around scanning the area…

"What do you think they're looking for?" Silver whispered.

Nick thought for a moment. "Well…they have the base…could be looking for a runner. Last thing they'd want right now is for this got get out into the open. If I didn't know any better I'd say they were trying to take this place so that they have a closer hold on the Lylat system just in case the fighting breaks out anytime soon."

Silver looked to the base and then to the animal below. "I have an idea…keep Roxy safe," he said sliding down the dune. "Sia, I want you to come with me. Roxy you stay here."

"Wait, why?"

Silver placed a paw on the concerned lapin's shoulder. "Because I've seen Sia move and she can be just as stealthy as I can…she can stay out of sight."

Nick slid down the dune behind the vulpine. "That's not the half of it…" he said putting away a small spyglass. "They've got our drop ship over there."

"Even better…" Silver replied. "Listen, Sia and I are going to go and check the place out. Once we get a feel of the place you may hear some commotion because I intend to let the pirates go. If I can get them all armed they may help us…and even if they don't, Roxy, you and Nick can get to our ship and call the others…Krystal first, and tell them what's going on here. I agree with Nick; I don't like the look of any of this."

Though she was hesitant, Roxy agreed, hugging and kissing the young vulpine before watching him and Sia fade into even the sandy surroundings just as easily as she'd ever seen him blend into his surroundings. To Roxy, he seemed like a chameleon at times, blending into his surroundings completely until he was nothing but a void of empty space waiting for an enemy to drop it's guard.

Silver and Sia headed off across the dune. Even the young husky was impressed with how agile the young vulpine was, moving about the dunes with ease as he seemed to leave no traces, not even a footprint to prove his presence. Of course Sia managed to keep pace, having grown for an unknown amount of time in the wilderness of the planet Fox had found her on, she had grown realizing that one false step could spell the difference between life and death. As they finally approached the base, Silver and Sia stopped, looking over the vast area. There were masses of small ships lined up in large square formations like you'd find at any star port. There were several animals maintaining a large drop ship, each of whom had bound ankles and paws. It was as he watched these animals that Silver got an idea. He and Sia quickly rushed off toward the ship as soon as they were certain that the coast was clear and dropped, sliding under to the grounded vehicle. Silver signaled for Sia to watch the front of the ship while he crawled over to a pair of feet of one of the forced laborers. In an instant he reached out grasping at the chain and pulling the animal under the ship with a quickness that didn't even allow the surprised slave a chance to scream before she found Silver's paw locked around her muzzle…

"Calm down…" he demanded to the young canine. "We're not going to hurt you."

The animal slowly stopped fighting as she realized that the two under the ship were hiding from Omni…

"Are you one of the pirates that live here?" he asked.

The animal simply nodded. "Good then I'm going to let go of your muzzle…just don't scream or they'll kill all of us."

As he let go of her muzzle the young collie looked about. "Who are you?"

"Someone that Omni hates very much…" Silver replied causing Sia to chuckle a bit under her paw. "Where is your leader?"

"Red escaped through the hills…there was no way we'd let them take her," the collie replied. "They were gonna kill her, just like they did most of the others. They kept our mechanics though…god only knows why."

Silver turned toward a communicator on his wrist. "Roxy…keep an eye out. The leader of the pirates is out there…she ran from Omni. She's the one they're looking for, I'm sure of it. Don't answer though…if you hear me just end the transmission."

There was an instant of silence before the communicator displayed that the link was lost. "Alright, where are they keeping the others?" Silver asked. "And I need to know where you all keep your weapons."

"Don't worry about the weapons…" the collie replied. "Just stick with me after I'm done here. They'll send that sick bastard Mavyn up here for me soon. He's never too far from the one that has the key to all these shackles…he's got a real brown nose."

A voice and footsteps suddenly caught her attention. "Stay quiet you two," she said pulling herself half out from under the ship. "What do you want, fuck'n prick?"

The animal that stood at the side of the ship rather roughly kicked the collie in the side of the head. "Hey, shut the fuck up!" he shouted. "You done with those fucking repairs yet?"

"No, I'm not!" the collie shouted back. "Now if you're done being a total fuck, hand me that number six box wrench from that tool chest over there so I can get this done."

The animal moved for a moment before returning with the wrench. "I got your fucking wrench right here."

The collie took the wrench. "Eat me you fuck'n dick…" she replied pulling herself back under the ship.

"Oh…any fucking time sweetheart," the animal replied.

The collie scoffed, "Honey…I'd rather do it myself. You wouldn't know what to do with a real woman anyhow."

There was a moment in which the animal knelt down. "Hurry the fuck up, it's cold out here."

The collie nodded to Silver before reaching out from under the ship, pulling herself up to her feet where she was led off toward the base by the rude animal…

"She's really tough isn't she?" Sia asked.

"Yeah…I don't like that other guy though…" Silver replied. "Stay here. If I'm not back before it's light outside again, head back to the others."

Silver had decided to keep a cloaking device on him at all times since the first time he'd been here on Titania, deciding that there were simply times in which there would be no places for him to hide. Running about the place seemed both familiar and different at the same time. There were guards posted everywhere this time, each dressed in Omni Corp. outfits and carrying Omni brand weapons. The tunnels led down into the bowels of the planet, it's interior spiraling down as Silver followed behind the collie, whom her Lupine escort pushed roughly every now and again, apparently just to remind her that he was in charge. They traveled until Silver was certain that they were at the very bottom of the place. There were sounds in this part of the base that he was certain he didn't want to hear. Both cries and moans filled the air, some pained while others weren't so lucky. The more he heard the more he was convinced that he absolutely hated everything to do with Omni. There were several moments that the collie was forced to stand by while Mavyn approached a door, which soon after opened, Silver took this moment to his advantage, moving his invisible muzzle to the collie's ear…

"Should I kill him?" he whispered.

"No…not yet," she whispered back. "Wait until we're in the room. That's where the key to all the shackles is."

"What was that?" Mavyn demanded shooting about.

"I said FUCK YOU!!"

The wolf took a moment, pulling her hair forcing her to look at the ceiling. "You'll get your turn," he said. "All these soldiers need some sort of entertainment."

Silver forced himself to keep from killing the animal right then and there. Though there were still a great deal of things he didn't know about life in the Lylat system, he knew enough to place what Mavyn was talking about. He followed the two into the room, where he found a thick layer of smoke covering the ceiling. Three animals sat at a small table covered in cards as well as several drinks and such. At the table sat a well dressed white-furred feline whose uniform bore a gold badge on his right breast, a younger looking dark brown-furred rat who sat across from him, and next to the rat, a slightly older canine sat who's smoky gray fur nearly blended into the smoke that covered the room. What angered Silver the most however was the sight of an avian woman chained to the far wall. Her feathers did a good job of hiding the blood that ran though them as their color seemed nearly of an equal hue. Her head hung lifelessly against her bare chest, while her rather well toned arms held her up by her chained wrists, and there was a dark scar on her beak. He was only happy that she seemed to still be wearing some form of pants. As he stood by, the three animals at the table looked to Mavyn…

"Nice choice there Mavyn," the white feline said.

Mavyn pushed the collie forward. "Thank you sir. I thought you'd like this one. She's got an attitude though."

The feline smiled. "Good…they're not really that fun if you don't have to fight a little," he said snuffing a cigar against the table they'd been sitting at. "Well then…are you going to be the lucky one that tells me where the other base is?"

The collie simply turned her head and spit on the floor…

"Thought so…" the feline said looking to the gray-furred canine across from him. "Jess, did you get anything on her?"

The canine lay a folder down in front of himself. "Jordan Wilson. Parents Mathew and Tanya. Two sisters, three brothers…all known relatives living on Papetoon. Left her family when she was 16 and flunked out of the flight academy on Corneria."

"So then…" The feline snickered as he stood up. "Are you going to tell me what my superiors want to know? Or do we need to get family involved in this?"

"If this fucker really did his homework, you'd know that my family disowned me…" Jordan replied. "I have no family. Why would Omni want to know where our real base is anyhow?"

"I believe your little motto says, 'Take what you can…give nothing back'," he replied. "Our intelligence has come to the conclusion that your little family of thieves just might have something that my boss wants, especially after seeing what Fox McCloud did to that hospital on Corneria."

"You seem to know a lot for a lowlife," the collie smiled. "It's just too bad this room is full of smoke."

The feline stood up making his way slowly toward her. "And why is that?"

The feline suddenly froze as he felt a set of sharp claws bite slightly into his neck. "Because then you would have at least smelled me…" a light voice echoed into his ear.

The remaining three animals sat up while Mavyn stepped back, pulling a blaster and moving toward Jordan. However he was stopped as the white feline rose a paw. "He'd have you dead before you ever pulled the trigger…" he said. "Isn't that right, Thirteen?" Silver paused. "What's the matter? Surprised? I'd recognize that voice anywhere. After all, the first time you damn near escaped the facility you nearly took my fuck'n arm off. I've still got the scars if you'd like to see them."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Silver replied. "I have a name…and it isn't a number."

The feline sighed. "Really now? Then what is it you want from me?" he asked. "The truth? You want to know about the others like you? Or are you here for this rabble?"

"Others?" Silver asked himself.

"So you didn't know?" The feline chuckled. "Why do you think it is I called you Thirteen just now? There were twelve animals in the Silver Fox project before you…you were the first successful project. After your success, Syler began developing more and more projects until he was certain that he'd gotten the process right. Is that what you came here for?"

"No…but thank you for the information," Silver replied with an invisible grin. "Now let them both go and give the key to all the prisoners to Jordan."

"Do it…" the feline said nodding to Mavyn. "You of course realize that you'll never leave this base alive."

Silver thought for a moment. "Maybe…" he replied. "But a good friend of mine once told me that there's no point to guessing at things when nothing is ever certain," he said. "Unfortunately, I don't think I can let any of you live."

Not a sound left the hall, as the only sight of the brutality that ensued was shown as no more than a small seeping puddle of blood that flowed from beneath the door as Silver and Jordan made their way out, carrying a limp, red feathered avian with them…

*******

**Papetoon City slums…**

*******

In a dim, lost alleyway, a drunken homeless rat stumbled toward his wet, dank home somewhere among the forgotten and the refuse. He peered down the neck of a dark bottle in his paw before groaning in disappointment and lobbing the empty container into a nearby wall. It was however, as he staggered down the alley that something brilliant caught his eye, causing him to pull his forearm over his eyes. It was then as he moved his arm that the source of whatever mysterious light came into view. It was a young vulpine with a medium build, and his musculature was well toned for one his size. He had light chestnut-colored fur with patches of white in the traditional vulpine places, along with a strip of white fur between his ears. The white patches of fur on his body seemed to actually borderline on luminescence, lighting the darkness of the alleyway. In a drunken stupor, the rat was certain that it was the angel of death coming to take him away before the bare furred vulpine stopped in front of him. The vulpine looked into his frightened eyes for a moment before smiling and then heading out into the city.

*******

In the deep confines of a massive ship, a light red-furred vixen sat alone, her only means at avenging the death of her only family left far away. She could not stand idly and wait for another chance, but she knew of no way of ending the miserable animal's life. If six rounds from a .44 couldn't end his life…what would? Jade wandered about the large ship that she'd called home for a short while. Her cousin Bill Gray had always seen her as more of a little sister than a cousin…she loved him for wanting to make losing everyone easier on her, but she was certain that it would not do any good. There was no way. She refused to bring a child into a world harboring the same creature that had taken John away. It was as she moved by the door that led to the bridge that she heard an odd transmission being debated by the captain and another animal on the other line. She could only tell that one of the voice was Bill's…

"You can't be serious…" Bill half shouted. "I was there…I personally escorted Fox McCloud into the Gate Station."

"Well clearly there must be some mistake…" the captain's voice added.

The third voice was one she'd never heard before. "I'm telling you both that I know Fox McCloud, and this guy is him. I have no idea how he got here, but there's something odd about him," he said. "Look…if you need confirmation then send someone here that can give us a positive ID on him. This could just be a case of mistaken identity or something, but he even claims himself that his name is Fox McCloud."

The captain sighed loud enough for Jade to hear it, "Bill…though you're still under close observation because of your contact with Omni, I want to send you to Papetoon to made an ID on this joker. You know McCloud better than anyone else on this ship."

Jade thought for a moment before rushing off down the halls toward the docking bay. "Papetoon…" she whispered to herself. "I don't know how you got down there, but you're mine."

Her thoughts were clouded with the image of Fox McCloud slowly dying for what he'd done to her and her child. Because of the vixen's intelligence with computers and their systems, not a soul would know when an Arwing came up missing from the ship's docking bay. The animal that ruined her life deserved nothing less than what he'd done to the only family she had, and though she had no idea how Fox McCloud had come to be on Papetoon, she'd find him. And if the animal was who he said he truly was, he'd be paid in spades…


	11. Chapter 11

_**Author Notes:** Sorry this took longer than I'd hoped. I've had a bit of conflict withe my new place and have been giving a lot of thought on moving back home to Cali. Anyhow, enough about my tidious, boring, and pathetic life. Here's chapter 11, don't forget to R&R and I'll see you next time. Thanks for the tons of supprot all..._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox_

* * *

……**Chapter 11……**

Silver wiped a bit of blood from his left eye as he helped Jordan carry her avian friend though the area, hopefully to safety. It was as they ran that finally the avian's eyes fluttered open. She wasn't sure where she was anymore, but she was quick to realize that the one on her right was one of her own crewmates…

"Wh-what's going on?" she mumbled turning to Silver. "Who the fuck are you?"

Silver didn't say a word. "They were beating you to death in there Red, god only knows what else. This guy saved both our asses, his name's Silver."

It was only after a short while that they ducked into a small room that looked like a mass bedroom. It was a massive room, longer than it was high, with bunks that reached far down both walls. Silver took a moment to look around before he sighed with relief and returned to their sides. He looked at Red only for a moment before turning his head away…

"Are there any clothes you can get for your friend?" he asked. "I feel……uncomfortable looking at her like this."

The red feathered avian smiled. "What's the matter kid?" she asked hiking up her breasts. "Never seen a pair before?"

"Yes I have…" Silver replied a bit offensively.

"Oh I see…" Red replied. "Our savior here is tied down."

Silver gave the avian a strange look. "I've never been tied up."

"Figure of speech kid," Jordan replied. "You aren't much for sarcasm, are you little guy?"

Silver sighed, all this time and he still had so much to learn about common life. "I'm still learning…"

Red chuckled holding her ribs. "What? Were you born yesterday?"

Silver kept his ear on the door. "Seems that way sometimes. Every time I think I've learned all there is that I need to know, I learn something new."

Jordan passed Red a shirt of some kind which she slipped on. "Welcome to life kid…" Red replied. "That's just something that you're gonna have to get used to. Ya learn someth'n new every day…even old people," she said. "Now…we have the fucker's key. Where are they holding the others?"

Jordan lowered her head. "A lot of our mates didn't make it…"

"Mates?" Silver asked raising one eyebrow.

Jordan nearly laughed. "It's just a term of endearment, kid…like calling someone your friend."

Silver nodded clearly gathering their point. "Can you walk?"

Red tried to stand for a moment before sitting back down. "Knees are still a bit wobbly, but I'll manage."

Silver thought for a moment as he stood there. "What did they do to ya Red?" Jordan asked.

Red placed a wing on the side of her head. "What I can remember……you don't wanna know."

Silver finally noticed that the avian hadn't opened her left eye the whole time she'd been awake. "Did they hurt your eye?"

Red chuckled. "You're a bit sweet for a vicious killer, kid," she said. "Don't lose yer head over it though…I lost that eye over ten years ago."

"Why not have it replaced?" Silver asked.

"What with bionics?" Red scoffed. "I'll just say that people don't exactly like me or my mates much."

Silver thought for a moment. If Red and her crew weren't liked, maybe there was a reason behind it. So far their mannerisms were so much different than those of all the animals that he'd met before. For females, they were kind of ill mannered and loud. He wondered why it was they seemed so different, or were they just misunderstood like he was? It was as he thought on this that he realized that they were wasting far too much time sitting and waiting…

"I have to check on my friend…" Silver suddenly said. "Can you two make it to your friends and get them out of here?"

Red smiled. "Count on it…we may just be a couple of girls…" she said winking her good eye at the silver furred vulpine. "But we're tougher than we look."

Admitting that she was probably right and with the activation of his cloaking device, Silver vanished from sight…then from the room. It was as he moved about the caverns that he realized something. He'd never really thought about it, but he felt an unnatural need to remain unseen. Being in any kind of public eye seemed to unnerve him on multiple levels. He didn't really understand it, or care to…though there was something nagging at the far corner of his mind. The animal that held Red captive said something about others…others like himself. Was it true? Could there really be others? Others that understood what it was like being an outcast…a freak? No matter what he tried he could not shake the thoughts that Syler had done this to more than just him and the unknown number of animals he'd seen in that mass graveyard so long ago. It still felt like it was only yesterday when he'd finally found that he was unlike them in the fact that he had a mother. As the thought of her entered his mind he could feel an unusual pressure in his chest. It weighed down on his heart and made him feel as though he was utterly alone in the world. He wiped a tear from his eyes as he managed to force the thoughts from his mind. He wondered how it was that Krystal dealt with such emotions on a daily basis. He knew that what he felt was sorrow for his mother, who'd died and believed that it was for the best that she suffered in restitution for what she'd done to her own child in the name of science. Sorrow was something he knew that Krystal was forced to deal with constantly, as he was certain that he would feel it again were he to be separated from Roxy the way Krystal was from Fox. Silver stepped into the open sun, when a gunshot sounded off, followed by the ricochet of a bullet meeting the metal wall beside him that led to the entrance of the place. He quickly moved away from the area…

"What the fuck are you doing!?!" a voice yelled dragging Silver's attention to two heavily armed guards atop a small rise in the hills.

The animal that had fired the shot held a long-barreled, powerful looking rifle. "I know I fucking saw something man!" he shouted. "I'm not sure what it was…but it was there for a second!"

The other animal slapped the sniper in the head again. "Lay off the HYPE you fuck'n retard. It's making you see shit!"

Silver had forgotten the one flaw to the cloaking devices that the crew carried on the ship. There was a small transitional difference when moving from shadows to light in which the device made the user visible for a brief moment…it simply went to show that these animals were nothing like the one's they'd dealt with before. They were skilled and highly trained, especially for this sniper to notice an object only visible for a fraction of a moment. Silver recalled what it was like to be shot, and it wasn't something that he wanted to remember, or feel again…he had no thirst or caring for pain whatsoever. At one point he recalled what Creed has said to him. "Pain lets you know that you're alive." He was certain that he understood what it meant, but it didn't mean he liked it. Silver finally found himself outside near the ship where he'd left Sia, however something bothered him about everything that he was seeing so far. The footprints told him everything that he needed to know. Two animals found her and dragged her away, not long after she'd hurt one of them, or possibly both, as he was certain by the smell that it was not her blood he'd found on the side of the small ship's hull…

Silver rushed off in the direction of the footsteps, only to find that they vanished. More appropriately, one of the footprints was only half there. Silver cocked his head to one side for a moment before reaching out in front of him…his invisible paw met with something that tingled a bit, but passed through as if it had traveled through a screen of warm light. He wiggled is fingers about a bit before simply stepping forward allowing his entire body to pass through the strange screen of warmth. In front of him now was a massive battleship, possibly even larger than the Nemesis. Its entire structure seemed to be covered with guns of all sorts of shapes and sizes, and seemed to be made in the likeness of the Nemesis itself, though of slightly differing in style, as it had wings that came only a short way out from its rear angling toward the nose of the ship. Again the confused fox rushed off following the prints of whoever had taken Sia. The interior of the ship looked even more like the Nemesis than the outside, though in much larger scale. His instincts told him to head for the ship's brig, which meant if this one was as much like the Nemesis as it seemed, the brig was on the bottom deck of the ship. His small trip there was slightly long, though equally annoying as several times the elevators he'd rode nearly had him discovered as an animal almost brushed against him several times. It was after he got off the elevator and it was headed back that he looked to the doors…

"I still hate these things," he whispered to himself.

The young vulpine slowly made his way though the halls, making certain he stayed out of the eye of everyone he managed to pass. He wasn't certain how long his cloaking device was going to work. He was sure that it was loosing power, after all, it had remained active for over an hour without resting. Eventually its power source was going to give out. His trek eventually led him to a familiar looking area. There were only four large cells in the brig, each with a similar light green screen of light that covered their openings, spare one who's screen of light was red, stating that it's power level was much higher and more violent that the others should someone touch it. Inside that one cell he wasn't surprised to find a young husky lying on the floor. She was clearly not that injured, or even unconscious. Silver was certain that she was only playing possum for some unlucky animal that decided to check on her and would not soon wake afterward. However it was as he stepped near the screen of light that Sia's nose twitched a bit…

"Silver?" she whispered.

Silver scouted the room to make certain nobody was watching or within earshot. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"Not much…" Sia replied refusing to move her head. "One of them already paid for it."

"Either way, let's get you out of here."

Silver quickly went to work pulling away the wall panel that set the screen in place, as he'd remembered seeing something before about how to short circuit these devices. He reached into the device and grasped two wires only to have an intense surge of electricity shoot through his body making his fingers go numb. It hadn't worked the way he'd hoped, but as he looked on the screen of light flickered out of existence. He wasn't sure how clean their getaway would be, but he was certain that they would make it out of this alive. However, as he helped the canine to her feet the ship rumbled beneath their feet…the ship was taking off…

_**Sauria……**_

The snows didn't stop falling. It seemed as though the small planet was experiencing a second ice age. Mika couldn't believe that the human she was with could manage to stand there in the snow without shivering, especially since he seemed to have no fur at all. It was as she stood there freezing in the snow that Randy handed her a small pill of some kind. It was no larger than a cough drop, and a bright red color. The snowy furred Minx placed it in her mouth as he signaled…

"Don't swallow it…" Randy said keeping his eyes on the base. "You'll literally be sick for weeks."

It was as she sucked on the odd thing that her body began to feel oddly warm. "What the hell is this thing?"

Randy chuckled. "One of Jeff's more distinguished inventions…" he pointed out. "Forces the hypothalamus into overdrive and keeps the body at a certain temperature. The chemicals it's made of aren't harmful unless they're swallowed in a large dose, so a simple candy coating and they make a pretty useful cough drop."

"Your friend is very smart…" Mika said.

"Well to be truthful it was Jay's invention…Jeff just finished it," he replied. "He had to."

"What happened?" Mika asked.

"When Victor first turned on us…" Randy replied. "Jay went after him in his Keizer. He's blind now."

"You have a lot of reasons to hate this guy don't you?"

Randy sighed a bit. "This team is full of the only friends I have…my old job didn't give me a whole lot of room to trust people."

"What job?" Mika asked.

"Forget it…" Randy replied walking toward the fence. "Stay here. Don't get in the way," he said using a single powerful leap to scale the fence landing on the far side. "He isn't trying too hard either…he wants me to find him."

Mika hesitated. "Just remember the Cerinians."

Randy looked about the small area. "No promises…." he said pausing for a moment. "But I'll try."

Mika frowned a bit as the human rushed off. She didn't exactly take lightly of being treated like a weakling. She huffed in the human's direction before wandering off. Randy moved about the base until he found himself a nice little perch in a tree at one end of the compound. There were three hanger style buildings, clearly not made by any of the known inhabitants of the planet except of course perhaps for the Sharpclaw, as they seemed relatively knowledgeable with technology. The entire compound was fenced in and there were five three-story guard towers placed about the perimeter. He scouted out the five towers, looking into any patterns that might get him spotted. After making clear note of all this however, he turned his attention to the three buildings that formed a triangle in the center of the compound. He watched as several animals ranging in all sorts of species exited and entered the buildings. He had determined by the way they were entering it that the building closest to his left was a barracks of some kind. He still however wasn't sure about the other two buildings, so he determined that they were the two that he'd search first. The first one was the one on the far north side of the small compound. It unsettled him a bit, how quiet it was, as if the entire universe had fallen silent enough to hear its own end. This made the human a bit happy however. No sounds set his senses on pins and needles. He could hear the crunch of the soft snow under his feet as he crept along the side of the metal structure, narrowly avoiding the sights of the animal in the closest guard tower. It was however as he made it around the corner of the building that he noticed something about it…there was no way inside, at least not for him there wasn't. The door was a large, thick, blast door like the ones used to separate a docking bay from the remainder of a ship. He whipped back around the corner flattening himself against the wall…

"There has to be some sort of venting system…"

It was as he assured himself of this that he noticed a small rise in the snow not far from his location. He waited until he was clear and rushed over, brushing the snow off of the mound. It was a small cement base, with a round metal vent at its center…

"Bingo…underground facility," he whispered to himself. "That means Omni's been here longer than we thought," he said pulling the vent cover loose. "Oh well…let's see just how long. Here I come Vic…ready or not."

Placing the cover back over its place, it was covered with the snow again before any of the tower guards had the chance to notice it had been moved. The narrow metal tunnel that he entered was barely large enough to allow him to slide comfortably down the far too long vent…or at lest he was pretty sure it was a vent of some kind. The human felt as though the entire world was bearing down on him from all sides, the tunnel feeling much smaller than it actually was. Though he had a control on it, his fear of enclosed spaces sometimes overpowered his will. He closed his eyes and looked down to see how much further it was to the bottom. Randy only opened his eyes for a few fleeting moments, but it was enough to see that the bottom wasn't even in sight. He started to move again only to feel his right hand slip causing him to begin a rapid fall down the shaft. He quickly thrust his hands out to either side in an attempt to stop his rapid decent, only to feel the bite of the small shards of ice that broke away from the metal walls dig painfully into his palms. When he finally ground to a halt he could feel the soft, warm trickle of blood from his palms as it threatened to make him lose his grip again. The enclosed place was now the furthest thing from his mind. He took a moment to look down again. He could see a slightly dull light now, which only made him wonder how far he'd actually just fallen. He wasn't sure what he expected when he inclined his head to look up only to see the darkness of the vent shaft…

He looked down again. "Only about 50 more feet," he whispered to himself.

Randy winced a bit as he began to descend again, nearly slipping several times until he was only a few short feet from the bottom when his hand gave way again. His landing on the metal structure of the vent below him was as soft as snowfall. He'd learned a long time ago how to allow his legs to absorb the shock of a fall, making his landing nearly completely silent. He was forced again to steady his breathing as once again his small confines were beginning to make him feel more and more uncomfortable. It felt as though it was becoming constricting even to his breathing. He waited until he managed to slow his breathing. He kept his eyes closed inhaling deeply through his nose. Randy hated the fact that something as minor as a small space could get to him so easily. He exhaled deeply before starting into the ducts on his hands and knees, slowly taking a moment to look through one of the vents he happened across. The interior of the place was composed of all metal walls that looked a lot like the metals he saw aboard the Nemesis. Several animals moved by, never more than two or three at a time. Some wore lab coats while other seemed dressed however they saw fit, some were dressed for war, while others seemed to be dressed like civilians…he was certain that the ones in civilian attire were most likely mercenaries as the Lylat system seemed to be rife with them. It wasn't however until he'd been down in the vents for a bit more than an hour that a voice echoed through the narrow network of ducts finding its way to Randy, who recognized the sound and lowly growled to himself. The human followed the voice until he found himself near a vent that looked into a small room. Unfortunately the three occupants of the room were hidden from his sight, but that didn't stop him from knowing that one was the person he was here for…

"So…General?" Victor's voice asked.

Randy could see a massive shadow stand up, one that he recognized as the General Scales he'd seen outside. However, the hook that replaced his arm was instead replaced on the wall by the shadow of some large gun. The beast smiled as he clearly admired his new augmentation…

"I like it very much," he replied.

"This is Omni's way of thanking you for your cooperation," Victor said. "Your soldiers will be a great help to our plans…and the weapons you wanted will be on the way once your people find what it is my boss is looking for…understand?"

The large Sharpclaw General chuckled. "Yes. This strange…crystal or shard, whatever it is you call it. My soldiers have found a lead in some ancient text. However, they are proving difficult for even your men to translate."

Victor waved his had about. "Whatever…have one of the blue girls look it over…if she fights kill her or something…but do so sparingly. There are only five of them here. The others were torn to shreds."

"It is still hard for me to believe that the very same Fox McCloud that came to Sauria did this to so may innocents…" Scales said. "With him involved do you really think there is time to search for some little trinket?"

Victor sighed. "He will be no problem to us. At the moment he's a much bigger problem for the Lylatians than for us. Without him, these people have no hopes at all. They're completely dependant on a single person to keep them out of trouble…it's incredibly pathetic." Victor sighed stepping into Randy's view. "Well I'm tired of standing around this boring room, and you have your new arm. I have some things to do, then I'm going to the galley for a bit."

Scales snarled. "You can have your strange excuse for food. I'll be in the woods…eating a real meal. One I've hunted and killed myself."

Victor slowly strode toward the exit of the room, however he stopped for a brief moment, and with a hand behind his back used his thumb to prop his stolen weapon slightly from its scabbard. If Randy hadn't known any better he'd swear the creep was taunting him with his own weapon. Randy growled a bit under his breath, there was no way he could attack Victor knowing that Scales with his new arm was there with him. He was so angry that he nearly didn't notice another voice that echoed from down the shaft. This one however seemed distressed. The human made his way along the ducts until he came to another vent where the voice was its loudest. He peeked in to see many young vixen, some rather beaten and all of them with fur nearly identical to Krystal's, one in particular screaming for help in a language that seemed like nothing but jibberish to the young human. Though with the large Sharpclaw male that pulled at her legs as she held onto the bars, he was certain he could ascertain as to what it was she was yelling about. Unfortunately it was as he stood by that he realized jumping in on this little scene could cause him no end of trouble as then he'd have a number of foxes to deal with. Randy sighed a bit as he watched the reptile finally pry the screaming animal's paws away from the bars that she held onto and slowly drag her out of the room. He decided to follow the reptile and vixen from overhead as the poor blue-furred animal was forced to walk in front of the Sharpclaw soldier until they vanished into a large elevator. There went his chance at realizing where the hell he was headed…

"Ah shit…" He sighed. "I wanna get the hell out of this vent."

As he said this Randy noticed a soldier walking by. His chest was rather large in proportion to the rest of his body, however something unusual caught his eye about the way the animal walked before entering the elevator that had since returned to the floor. He quickly made his way to the elevator shaft, accessing it from the vents and slowly sliding down the cables. The human slid away the access panel that lay in the roof of the lift, and slowly lowered himself in behind the animal. The soldier was completely oblivious until Randy took the creature by the back of the shirt swinging it into the wall of the elevator and quickly placing a paw over the creature's muzzle…

"What the hell are you doing in here?" he demanded.

The animal wore a mask that hid its face from the biting cold snow, as well as the view of all others. The human's paw was quickly forced away. "How the fuck did you know it was me?" Mika asked pulling the mask up over her muzzle.

"If you're gonna blend in with male soldiers…" he said. "Stop swinging your hips when you walk. You're lucky nobody else noticed you before I did," he added as the elevator began to descend. "How'd you get in here so fast anyhow?"

"You'd be surprised what a guy will do for you when you have tits," she smiled pulling the mask down again. "Even turn his back long enough for you to slit his throat."

The human nodded to himself a bit. Apparently being a female did have some useful advantages. "You find anything out?"

"Something about a tablet," Mika replied. "You?"

"Not much different…" Randy replied. "Just something about a shard of some kind hidden on this planet. Apparently it's pretty fucking important, cuz that tablet you're talking about is written in a language that they're trying to force one of those…Cerinian people to translate."

"If it's in a language nobody here can read…maybe it's like that for a reason," she replied. "I mean why put something down here that can't be read by anyone here unless you're trying to hide something?"

"Then why leave the tablet here at all?" Randy asked looking up. "Wow…" he said realizing that his breathing was getting a bit erratic. "How far down does this thing go?"

Mika chuckled. "You're claustrophobic," she pointed out. "All this tough guy bullshit and it turns you that you're afraid of a little tight space," she said. "What happens if I do this?" she said beginning to jump up and down. Before she could make her third jump Randy's sword was at her throat pinning her to the wall. "Okay I get your point. No more jumping," she said rubbing her neck as he let go. "But you do have a good point. Maybe it was left here in case that shard they're looking for was needed."

"Victor was also saying something about that shard having something to do with why this McCloud person killed a bunch of people on Corneria."

Mika thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it," she replied. "Fox had this accident a while back…he got this black shard or crystal, or something stuck in his chest. You think that may have something to do with it?"

"Hmm…" Randy thought to himself. "Maybe…I think we need to look into this a bit more before we jump to any conclusions. Is that shard really that bad?"

"Before it happened Fox was the nicest person you'd met," Mika replied. "He'd never actually hurt anyone like that, not if the person we're talking about is already injured."

"Hmmm…" he thought. "What if these shards are like mind control or something? Lot of that going around these days."

"I don't know…but…you'd best get back up there before we get to the bottom," the minx said. "I'll try to find out what I can."

"Good…" Randy replied climbing back on top of the lift. "Just make sure you stop walking like a girl," he said pulling the cover of the access hatch into place.

"I am a girl you asshole," Mika half shouted.

The pale-furred minx snorted angrily before the doors opened again. A shorter than average Sharpclaw soldiers eyed her for a moment before snorting at her…

"You…help watch blue one," he said pointing down the hall. "Wait for General…he be here soon. She not want to read for us…that change for General," he said. "She in back room at end of hall. You go now."

Mika simply grunted at the reptile in reply before heading down the hall toward the room where there was apparently a Cerinian female being held against her will, possibly the one that Randy had mentioned. Mika looked at the ducts overhead, and wondered where the human could possibly be at this time.

Randy simply cursed his luck as he kept moving through the ducts. He wasn't sure what he'd find first, the device that could set the Cerinians free, or Victor. He kept whatever thoughts he possibly could to keep his mind from his childish paranoia of this confined space. His mind traveled back and forth over several different things, one of which was why Omni would be after the strange crystal Mika spoke of. Something was definitely special about the crystal shard if it was set so closely into Omni's sights. He sighed as he finally found a bit of comfort, a small storeroom that allowed him a small reprieve from the constant tightness of the ducts that ran through the building. It was as he stood there in the frosty room that the door swung open revealing a rather young looking wolf, who walked into the room and into the human's grip, which swung him into the wall while his hand wrapped around his muzzle…

"Listen closely…" Randy warned him. "I'm tired of skulking around without a clue about where I'm going. I'm irritated as hell…and you don't want to know what I'm like when I'm irritated," he pointed out placing and emphasis on the weapon at the animal's throat. "So if you plan on leaving this room alive…you're gonna tell me what I wanna hear right?"

The wolf only nodded…

"Is there anything stopping me from taking those Cerinians out of this place?"

"Only about a hundred and fifty soldiers and a helluva lot of ammo," the wolf replied.

"Why is Omni after this…shard thing?" Randy demanded.

"I-I-I don't know wh-what you're talking about," the frightened lupine stuttered. "I'm just a artillery gunman, I don't even get to carry a weapon, I just maintain the armory."

"Fine then…" Randy said accepting the fact that he'd pinned a low ranking soldier. "Where can I find Victor Ramirez?"

The wolf looked at him questioningly…

"The one carrying a weapon like mine," Randy growled. "The only human on this base."

"But…there are two humans on this base," the wolf replied. "One never really says much, except to the General of the Sharpclaw. Other than him there's another named Amber Grheen. The guy with the sword should be in the galley by now. He's pretty routine."

"Where's the galley?" Randy asked.

"Two floors up near the maintenance hall…" the wolf replied. "If you're traveling through the ducts it should be west past the elevator, in sector E-26."

"And I can tell what sector I'm in how?" Randy asked lowing his sword.

"In the vents each sector is marked with a letter and number for the maintenance teams," the wolf said with a sigh of relief at the fact that the human had lowered his weapon.

Randy sighed. He was always amazed at how loose a pair of lips would become in a life-threatening situation. However, he couldn't have the animal alerting anyone that he was there. The poor wolf never even saw the attack that knocked him out. And his obedience had bought him his life, as Randy placed him out of the way where he was certain nobody would find him…and sighed heavily before heading back into the ducts that he was climbing through. He'd of course prefer to travel in another manner, but however he was underground, in a facility full of empty hallways where there'd be no form of cover and no places for him to hide. He hated the act of slithering around like some sort of snake. However, as he slid along the horribly tight tunnels he came across a small marking along a large panel in the wall beside him. A set of numbers marked this area as Sector K-9. The human scoffed at the number for a moment before continuing along his path. He was amazed at how long it seemed to take him to get to the elevator shaft again, and then finally two floors up. By the time he reached the area he was looking for, he'd all but given up on finding it. His claustrophobia had all but convinced him that he'd be stuck in the airtight tunnels forever. He peered in over a table where several animal's sat, and sure enough several tables away, sitting and eating alone with his sword settled in front of him was the single person he'd been waiting to get his hand on…

The attack seemed to come out of nowhere, as Randy's rage finally boiled over fueling his anger and his actions as he suddenly shot from the vent. His exit of the ducts caused the entire table he landed on to panic, most of them falling from their seats in surprise. He shot across the room in what seemed like one stride before he found himself standing on a table, only one away from the one Victor, as the table he'd been sitting at fell in half, his blade had even diced the plate he'd been eating off of in half. Victor was wearing what appeared to be a small coat missing its sleeves…as he stood there the human drew his sword with a cocky grin…

"I was waiting for you," he said holding the weapon up to his face. "Still looking for this? It's your father's so I imagine you want it back pretty badly. You really think you're ready for it?"

Randy gritted his teeth at his old friend. "I'm not the one that needs to be ready," he said. "I taught you everything you fuck'n know! And now I'm gonna use it to cut that cocky ass smile off your face."

Victor chuckled. "Oh, scary," he chimed sarcastically.

Randy shot across the broken table and collided with Victor. The clash of their blades nearly masked the kick that was driven into Victor's chest sending him several tables away, landing against one that snapped in two under the force of his fall. As Randy stood by several animals came at her from random sides, but in what seemed like one motion, four of them fell to the ground stone dead, with gaping wounds, two of which had been hefted in twain. This caused the remaining lot to back away slowly as Victor stood up laughing…

"You haven't gotten any slower at all," Victor smiled.

Randy didn't spare time in lunging at his cocky opponent. The collision of their weapons rang even out into the hallways. Their clash seemed to cause the room to quickly begin to empty. As their colliding weapons continued to ring through the room, a sound caught Randy's attention. He quickly spun away from one of Victor's attacks, and as he watched on, Victor noticed that Randy's motion had left a small chrome spike jutting from the access panel of the galley door, where several arches of electricity rose from the spike. Victor chuckled…

"Never miss a mark do you?" he asked. "I guess this means you want to keep this a private meeting?"

Randy glared at Victor before pointing his weapon at him. "More like a private funeral."

Again the two collided. Blow after staggering blow struck, causing a spray of red and orange sparks to shower from their weapons. As they fought, dodging and blocking each other's strikes, there was a blaring alarm as the lights went out for a brief moment, causing their strikes to light up their faces before a red flashing light began to pulsate through the room. As they clashed Victor sent a string of powerful strikes at Randy's head, one after another was blocked before a spray of sparks struck Randy's eyes, causing him to painfully drop his guard for a brief moment. Victor suddenly raised his weapon in an attempt to cleave his opponent in half. However, their blades met once again. The power of the strike was immense as it caused the table beneath Randy and Victor's feet to completely give in, collapsing to the ground. The shift in their balance caused the two to lose their balance for a brief moment in which Randy took the opportunity to swipe his weapon at Victor's exposed chest, drawing out a short stream of blood, before Randy leaped forward driving his feet both into Victor's chest. The impact of his kick sent the large human several feet away into a steel wall. Oddly however, Victor kicked back off the wall using the momentum to slam his shoulder into Randy's knees, causing him to flip several times through the air before landing firmly on his feet while Victor rolled off his shoulders to his feet. He took the moment to spit out a bit of blood, while Randy examined a slash across his right quadriceps…

"You always were faster than me," Victor said spitting out a bit of blood. "I guess master saw that didn't he? Mr. Assassin…"

Randy snarled. "Shut up. Killing for money is nothing compared to what you did."

"And what was it I did?" Victor asked taking a moment to breath the fire from his lungs. "Murder? You're condemning me for doing the same job that you try so hard to defend. I was just doing my job…" he said. "Your entire family was the hit actually. You, Master, your girl, your kid…" he chuckled. "But it was like I told my client, there wasn't much of a chance of you going down so easily." A wicked grin spread across Victor's face. "How would you take it? If you learned that it was Carlos that put the hit on you?"

"You really think you can justify killing a child and a woman?" Randy asked. "YOU KNOW THE FUCKING CODE!!! NO WOMEN!!! NO CHILDREN!!! THAT'S THE RULE!!! EVERYTHING I EVER TAUGHT YOU ABOUT KILLING WAS BASED ON THOSE FUCKING RULES!!!" he shouted.

Victor shrugged his shoulders. "That was how it started…but you know what I learned while I was taking you and the Master's little lessons? Nobody gives a flying FUCK ABOUT YOUR RULES!!!" he shouted. "You think your little code of honor actually matters in the real world? You're just as stupid as that old fuck was for turning his back on me."

"He didn't know he was turning his back on a coward."

At the sound of the word "coward" it seemed Victor's attitude turned, causing his face to burn a bright red. He practically flew across the wide gap between them slamming his sword into Randy's with enough force to bring his opponent to one knee. Randy could hardly believe what was going on, it was like Victor had opened up a part of himself that he'd never even seen before. He'd been toying with him the whole time. As they collided again and again it seemed as if each of Victor's strikes threatened to rob Randy's hands of his weapon. Twice already he'd noticed the sting of an open gash across his chest, before a kick from the slightly shorter, darker skinned human slammed Randy's back into the door of the galley, the shot leaving a small dent, before Randy ducked out of the way of another head hunting strike which proved the sword's edge as it cleanly glided through the steel of the blast door until the friction ground it to a halt, where a spinning kick from Randy's right foot drove the weapon from Victor's grip. He knew he shouldn't have, but his instincts instantly told him to take the sword, which he attempted, but it wouldn't budge. Before Randy could realize what was happening a powerful hand slammed into the side of his head driving his skull against the door before flinging him helplessly to the ground several feet away. Victor ripped the weapon from its place noting that the blade was now coated in thick blood, a bit of which ran under the door…

"Whoops…" He chuckled turning to Randy. "Looks like someone was listening in on us."

Before Victor could realize what was happening, Randy shot from his place slamming his shoulder into Victor's gut, crashing him into the same door with a nearly unbridled force. The former blow from Victor's weapon had weakened the structure just enough however to allow the two to topple through it and into the hallway. Their toppling blades injuring several animals as they fell into a small pile up. The two however quickly rose to their feet and continued fighting. Their fighting seeming to pull them down the paths of the red-lit halls…

*******

Mika finally stepped into the room where she found the young blue-furred vixen that looked amazingly similar to Krystal. She sat alone in the corner of the room, one of her eyes was slightly swollen, and there was a short stream of blood trailing from the corner of her mouth. She hid her face under both her arms before she felt a soft paw on the side of her head. Her silent sobs stopped when she lifted her head only to see the minx's kind face. Mika looked about for a moment. There were no cameras or one-way mirrors, just a stone tablet and a voice recorder sitting on a table. Mika helped the vixen to her feet and had her sit at the table…

"Can you read this?"

The vixen simply nodded her head.

"Listen. Whatever is on this tablet could be very important…I need this translated."

The vixen looked it over for a few minutes. "It…it is nothing but numbers. 152652x, 288642y, 380897z. I-It makes no sense."

Mika sighed. "Yes it does…" she said. "They're coordinates. It's nowhere near this planet. Can you defend yourself? Krystal told me that your people are all psychic or something."

The vixen held up her wrist showing a metal shackle. "No. Whatever this is…I cannot use my abilities at all."

Mika took the vixen by the arm and looked the device over for a moment before laying her arm on the table and placing the blast rifle strapped to her back against the edge of it so that the blast, even if it penetrated the device wouldn't hurt the Cerinian's arm, "Look away," she said, causing the vixen to do just that.

The blast was all but silent, spare the hard metal ping of the short pulse of plasma tearing into the metal table, and a moment later of fiddling with the small device, the Cerinian was finally free. However as soon as the object impacted the floor the room went dark blaring with the sound of a loud alarm, while the room pulsated with a deep red light. Suddenly two guards burst through the door of the room, however as they both fired their weapons at Mika who recoiled in fear, the bursts of plasma from their weapons rebounded off an invisible wall in front of her, one of the bolts striking one of the Sharpclaw in the head. Mika quickly aimed her weapon and after another shot rebounded off the shield, a blast from her own weapon tore through the animal's skull sending him into the hall with a power unlike any rifle she'd ever held. She turned to the blue-furred vixen kissing her on the forehead.

"I really like you," she said picking up the tablet. "Come on, let's go get the others. If you can all do something like this I can't wait to see what happens when I'm surrounded by you people."

Mika picked up a spare weapon before heading down the halls. She tossed her mask aside after realizing that she would no longer need it. She was happy enough that there was such a panic about the place since the facility's alarm had been sounded. Her only question was, why was it they weren't headed toward her location if she was the one that had caused the alarm? It didn't even dawn on her that for a moment that it may have actually been her human accomplice that had tripped the alarm. All she knew was that for the most part, she was pretty much bulletproof…and the thought of it sent chills down her spine. Any animal unlucky enough to get in her way met with the same fate as the two that had entered the room where she'd saved the blue vixen that trailed behind her. The Cerinian girl however, did lead her toward the room where the other vixens were being held. It was as they rode the elevator up toward the floor where she'd run into Randy that the white-furred minx noted a small spatter of blood on the controls of the lift. In what seemed like no time Mika found herself and the young vixen both standing near the cell that the Cerinians were being held in…

"Alright tell them to line up and to listen closely…" Mika said to her guide. "I'll get those things off them and we can get the fuck out of here."

Following her instructions, the Cerinians began to line up one by one, being there were only four more of them made it a quick enough process. They vixen stayed with her as they all headed out into the hall. They rushed down the hall toward the elevator again. As they did so a large group of soldiers rushed out into the hall pointing their weapons at Mika's group. An older vixen pulled ahead of the group and thrust her palms toward the group. Several of the animals seemed to burst as if they'd swallowed a live charge of C-4, while the others were thrown into the walls with crippling force. As they strode by, Mika noticed that several of the animals that lay there were broken and contorted lying in a pool of what was once their companions. Mika had never known that Krystal's abilities could be so deadly, and secretly vowed never to piss the vixen off. It wasn't much of a trip until her small group made it to the elevator. Mika still wondered why it was that she still hadn't seen Randy since the alarm sounded. She figured he was most likely trying to keep his own ass alive…she didn't blame him, though it did piss her off that he'd bail on the whole operation just to save his own furless ass. Her mind was slightly changed however, as the elevator made its way to the top floor, revealing that the entire building on the surface was just a cover for the bunker that lay beneath the planet's crust. Here there were several bodies, most of which were missing a limb or two. It looked like they'd gotten involved in a fight they shouldn't have. A loud metallic bang caught Mika's attention that turned out to be the large doors to the large building slamming shut. Standing there was another human, clearly a female as her tight fitting uniform was all too revealing. The top was cropped short coming just short of her naval, while her tight shorts reached just above her knees. She pushed her long, wavy, blonde hair away from her face sliding on a familiar style of gloves…

"So can you use anything other than that gun?" she asked. "Your little friend outside had done a lot of damage. I've never really seen anyone kill so many people in the middle of a fight without dropping his guard."

Mika smiled as the human woman took a strange looking fighting stance. "Here…" she said handing her weapon to one of the Cerinians before removing her disguise. "I was a bit tired of this thing anyhow, I don't like smelling like a man," she said removing a pair of gloves from her back pocket and sliding them onto her paws.

The human woman smiled. "Well…looks like I do know a fighter when I see one," she said. "So what's your name cutie?"

Mika rolled her neck from side to side. "Cutie? The name's Mika…it's not one you're gonna forget any time soon."

The human chuckled. "My name's Amber," she replied. "You know you remind me a lot of a stuffed animal I used to have when I was little. Maybe I'll take you home instead of killing you."

Mika chuckled. "Sorry chick, I'm not into girls," she said. "If this gets out of hand you all get the hell out of here okay?" she asked over her shoulder.

"What about you?" one of the younger vixens asked.

"I can handle this bitch…" the minx replied. "As soon as you have a clear shot for the door, get out of here."

The blonde human took a light step forward. "You ready, cutie?"

"Ready to make you STOP CALLING ME THAT!!!" Mika shouted rushing at the human.

The minx's stride showed her skill and strength to the human as well as the Cerinians that stood behind her. Her opponent rushed in as well. Mika suddenly leaped slightly into the air, clearing the rest of the distance in with a sliding leg sweep, which the human leaped over her. However, before Amber managed to land, Mika shot back across the area driving her fist into the human's gut causing her to double over in pain. The punch was followed up with a sweep that pulled the woman off her feet. Mika followed through the sweep spinning and driving her knee into the human's spine. While her knee held the human in air for a moment, Mika spun about driving the point of her elbow into the human's chest, which drove her painfully into the floor. Before realizing what was happening the human woman grabbed Mika by the leg tossing her into the air, before leaping up beside her with a nauseating spin and driving her foot into the minx's chest with a force that shot her a distance away. As she landed, Amber wiped a bit of blood from her lip. She looked to the bit of blood that smeared across her glove before looking to Mika whom was having trouble getting back to her feet. Mika couldn't seem to make it off her paws and knees. The kick she'd received felt like it had nearly broken her in half. However, before she could get up the human woman rushed across the room driving her foot painfully into the minx's ribs, sending her spinning across the hard metal floor, where she slid to a stop spitting up a large amount of blood…

"Probably should have warned you about my leg…" Amber said brushing her hair away from her eyes. "Advanced Omni cybernetics program. Stepped on a landmine some time back…doctors at Omni patched me up better than new. If it makes you feel any better about losing, I've never been hit that hard before." She chuckled. "In fact I think you may have broken one or two of my ribs. But you know how that feels right now, don't you?"

The human might as well have been talking to the floor itself. The pain that shot through Mika's body was so much that it shut her off from the outside world around her. She could hardly breath, and it felt like her insides were on fire. She'd suffered broken ribs before, but she'd never been kicked so hard in her entire life. Amber froze in place as she saw the minx slowly climb to her feet. However as she rushed in at Mika, the minx quickly rolled onto her back taking the human by the shoulders and using her legs to toss the human several feet away. As she fell Mika could hear her scream seem to grow further and further away. She rolled over only to realize that she'd tossed the human into the open elevator shaft. Two of the young Cerinians rushed over to help the injured minx to her feet. As they stumbled outside, a familiar white-furred vixen rushed over to Mika's side. She was carrying a rather large sniper rifle over her shoulder…

"I heard the alarm from the camp…" she said taking Mika onto her shoulder. "Thought you might need the help. Looked like I was right too," she said looking out onto the snow where Randy and Victor were continuing their fight. "If he would have come out here before I showed up, the snipers in the towers would have taken him out."

"I'll stay here…" Mika said. "Get these five out of here and take this with you," she added handing the pale-furred vixen the tablet she'd taken.

"Mika you can't stay here in your condition."

"I'll be fine." Mika retorted pushing Vixy's paws away from her. "Just get them out of here now. I'll be here when you get back."

"That's not a choice, you're coming with me like it or not." Vixy demanded.

Mika sighed. "Fine."

As the small group moved toward the gate of the compound, Randy continued his fight. The snow had no chill against the heat that built up in his lungs. Multiple cuts over each participant's body painted small patches of snow red. Randy couldn't believe what was happening, the Victor that he'd know was a lazy little prick and had no real skill. This was an entirely new person, at least a different person than the one he'd known. A brief exchange of attacks proved that the two had hardly enough energy left to even lift their weapons…

"You were hired long before I found your sorry ass in that alley," Randy pointed out.

"Finally catching on are we?" Victor asked. "It was the only weakness I could find to exploit…your constant and effortless need to pass on your skills to another. I must admit though, I did pick up a few nice tricks while I was staking you out," he said frowning a bit. "That lady friend of yours did suspect me, but that smoothed over nicely when she had her little accident."

The two made a final rush at each other. Three loud clashes of steel rang out, before Randy fell to the snow held up by one knee, as his opponent's weapon was jabbed through his thigh. Randy screamed in pain as the weapon was pulled free with a metallic chime. He couldn't even hear the voice of the white-furred animal that stumbled toward him before she fell to the snow. Mika had at some point fought away from the others. If they left the human there, he'd eventually be overpowered and killed. As Victor raised his weapon, something stuck him between the eyes causing a bit of blood to run down his face. He looked to Rand, before finally walking toward the minx. Still however reeling from her fight inside the large building, Mika found it impossible to fight. She simply closed her eyes waiting for her fate. She owed Randy her life, he'd saved her life on Macbeth, and she'd always been taught to pay her debts. However even after hearing the sound of a blade tearing through flesh and bone, there was no pain, and when she opened her eyes she realized why. Randy stood prone in front of her. For a moment she swore she could hear him say something before he fell…

"No women…" Victor replied. "Sanctimonious bullshit," he huffed at the downed human. "Thanks to you I lost everything I was supposed to protect here. I'll be lucky if the boss doesn't kill me himself," he said kicking Randy a bit before looking to Mika. "I've changed my mind about you though. I'll let General Ugly think about what we do with you once he gets back," he said turning back to Randy. "As for you though, I'm fucking tired of having to watch my back thinking you're gonna pop out of my god damned bed every time I go to sleep."

Victor raised his weapon in an effort to impale the downed human only to find that he couldn't move his arms. His gaze wandered off into the distance, where a familiar white furred vixen stood, a deep blue light engulfing her eyes. With a wave of her paw the human shot through the air, planting firmly against the wall of one of the buildings…

"Come on…" she said helping Randy to his feet as several of the young Cerinians followed behind her. "We need to get the hell out of here before this place is overrun with reinforcements, off the planet altogether. We need to get him back to the Nemesis now."

Several of the Cerinians helped carry the young human away, while Mika trailed behind them with one of the Cerinians helping her as well. When they finally reached the camp, Lia examined the human that was laid down in front of the fireplace. A huge gash in his chest went deep enough to expose bone, while the other wounds on his body were nowhere nearly as deep, though still bleeding. She grimaced as she peeled away his shirt from his chest…

"This is really bad…" she said checking his pulse. "He's cold and he's got a really faint pulse."

It was as they all stood there that Terya found her way to the human's side and instantly began to inspect his injuries. No matter how many times Lia pushed her away however, the little vixen seemed dead set on being at the human's side. She seemed to sit there for a moment before Vixy pulled Lia away from Randy's side, and pointed to Terya…

"Look…" she pointed out.

Lia turned to look at Terya only to see her paws engulfed in a familiar blue light that she'd seen over Krystal's paws before. "Lia did you know she was a healer?" Vixy asked.

"No…" Lia replied. "I don't think anyone knew. She's never done this before."

Mika found a seat next to the fire. "I guess she really does like him," she said lying his sword down beside him. "Let her finish this, then we're getting the hell out of here."

"What about them?" Lia asked looking to the Cerinian survivors. "I didn't even know there were any survivors."

"We'll have to take them with us," Vixy replied. "It'll be a tight fit, but…I'm sure we can manage."

While Terya continued her work with the horribly injured human, Vixy and Lia helped the Cerinians to the ship before returning for the human and Terya. As their ship pulled away from the planet, Mika looked to the stone tablet that she'd stolen. Whatever Omni was after…the writing on the tablet was the only thing that could tell her where to find it. And once again she blamed herself, and owed the human her life…

*******

**Undisclosed Location……**

*******

A large figure sat behind his desk while a small hologram of a familiar looking blonde human woman standing there held her injured left arm…

"You're sure?" he asked keeping his back to the hologram.

"Yes sir. He and Victor tore the place up pretty bad…" the woman said. "And an animal, fox, ferret, I don't know what the fuck she was, ran off with the tablet…"

The figure behind the desk sighed angrily. "And the translation? How is that going Miss Grheen?"

The woman sighed. "About…fifty-eight percent. The men are working on it day in and day out. They're certain that they'll get it finished in the next forty-eight hours."

"At least something came out of all this…" the person behind the desk replied. "Good bye Miss Grheen," he said cutting their transmission and holding down a button on his desk. "Mrs. Ross, get X on the line. Time he did something useful."

The figure pulled a fresh cigar from a drawer in his desk. He moved the flame of a wooden match to it before waving the fire out…

"These morons are more trouble than they're worth." He sighed. "What does it take to hire someone with a brain in this day and age?"

As the small image came up on his desk, he laid his paw on the desk as he sighed deeply. He didn't care to think of how often these animals had ruined everything he'd planned all these years. He simply wanted them dead and gone, and X was the one that he was certain could get it done…


	12. Chapter 12

**Author Notes**_: Okay her's chapter 12 of the Continuing Chains of Fate. Now I've already panned out the end of this fic to twenty chapters, hopefully this doesn't end up like CoF and turn into 70 huh? I can promise that there'll be 8 more chapters at the least and I won't stop till they're done, and i can promise that each will be about 10k words long. That's ma goal. Anyhow, things seem to keep getting worse for old Foxy there. R&R let me know your thoughts and all. Thanks for the support...a lot of thanks to **Crafty Lefty **for his endless stream of help. Till next time y'all..._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox_

* * *

**Chapter 12……**

**Beltino Orbital Gate Station……**

The brig was as drab and dull, dank and dark as it always was…like usual the only real form of light in the room was the flickering lights of the barrier that kept the brig's only occupant at bay. The chestnut-furred fox stood there in the center of his cell, his gaze aimed at the floor before his feet, his eyes completely hidden from sight. His body occasionally swayed to one side or the other before yet again leveling out. The two guards that stood by his cell had noticed something odd about his behavior. At first he was very calm and quiet, before he suddenly started talking to himself, then he suddenly stood up and had been in this position for hours. One of the guards reached for his communicator…

"Um…Professor?" he called. "I think we have a problem with McCloud."

It was only a few minutes before the short toad made his way into the room. "What seems to be the problem, sir?" Beltino asked respectfully.

The guard pointed to the cell. "McCloud was standing like that over two hours ago. We ignored it and kept out post, but Garvis pointed out that he hasn't moved from that spot for some time."

Beltino looked into the room for a moment. "Fox? Fox? Are you in there?" he asked. "Hmmm…something isn't right about this. He's always been responsive before…something must have happened. I want a medical team to look him over right away while I inform Krystal and Creed. I would use the PA system, but I do not want the others of the station to crowd the area."

*******

Krystal was happy enough to see that she was feeling much better. She still found herself abnormally hungry, but for the most part her headaches were gone. Now all she felt was a bit worn out from running about all day helping Beltino try his hardest to figure out what was going on with Omni and why their ships had not moved yet. She had just managed to get to sleep when something struck her causing her to shoot up from her sleep. A sudden pain in her head that seemed to shoot about a bit ending behind her eyes and then settling. It was a familiar feeling that she got once in a while, usually when something bad was about to happen. She managed to shrug it off as there was a knock at her door…

"Yeah, come in."

Jeff slowly entered the room. "You wanted to see me about something?"

Krystal had been thinking long and hard over how she'd been feeling. "Listen…I'm not stupid. I can be a little slow sometimes but…"

Jeff sighed. "You're stalling."

"Okay listen, I've been having trouble sleeping, I've been felling like shit, and I've been having some really weird cravings…" she said taking a moment to breath. "Jeff…am I pregnant?"

Jeff chuckled a bit. "That was my first assumption," he pointed out. "With your odd cravings and all, it was hard to not think so…but then those tests on you came back negative. What I did find however was something about your abilities. Krystal do you know what Telepathic Empathy is?"

Krystal smiled. "Well yes. It's when telepathy becomes powerful enough to not only read the mind, but feel and sense emotions."

"Exactly…" Jeff said finding a chair. "See, at first I came here to the Gate Station with the purpose of telling you that you were expecting. However, the tests now prove to me that you aren't, which became slightly clearer after a short while here when your symptoms began to clear up. Beltino and I have worked something out though. It seems that a while back, several decades ago, there were these twins on Papetoon, one pregnant, while the other could never bear children. However, the infertile sister of the two also showed the symptoms of her sister's pregnancy. We believe that the same thing is happening to you right now…" he said. "Someone very close to you is pregnant, and as long as you remain anywhere near her, your ability of telepathy will mirror her feelings onto you. It is actually a bizarrely interesting concept. The longer you keep at a distance, physically or emotionally from anyone expecting, I think your symptoms should subside like they have now."

Krystal laughed out loud. "That's a fuck'n relief," she said putting her paw on her chest. "With the way you paused before, I was sure you were gonna tell me yes," she said. "But that's telepathy for you, it causes more problems than it solves."

"Really?" Jeff asked.

Krystal sighed. "No, that's just a saying from my home world," she said. "But if I'm not pregnant, and I'm picking up signals like this then…who is?"

"I've only done one other test on the whole ship…" the human replied. "Jane may not know yet so…try to keep it to yourself for now. At least until we can find out about how stable Creed is."

Krystal was given little time to think about the poor feline's situation, as a deafening siren shot through the station causing the fur of Krystal's back and tail to stand on end. As she and Jeff looked about wondering what was going on, a voice echoed over the station's PA system…

"WARNING!!! There has been a breach in security in Brig cell A-21!!! The inmate is considered hostile and extremely dangerous!!! Orders are shoot to kill!! I repeat, shoot to kill!!!"

Krystal didn't even stop to think that perhaps Jeff was following her when she shot from the room and bolted down the hall. Jeff found it nearly impossible to catch up. He was never a runner of any kind. However as he rounded a corner that all lost meaning as he nearly ran into Krystal who simply stood there in a daze of disbelief. Just down the hall, a small mess of bodies lay on the floor, some wearing white coats while others were dressed as soldiers. Most were ripped asunder as the walls of the hall were spattered with blood and chunks of random matter that Jeff could only describe as large patches of flesh sticking by what meat and blood coated them. Standing at the apex of the gore was a familiar looking red-furred vulpine who held a rather large soldier up by the throat before his free paw ripped the screaming creature's jaw from its place, relishing the spray of blood that ebbed from the wound pouring down over his face. Suddenly the vicious animal's eyes turned toward a dark green-skinned toad that attempted to crawl away from the carnage with the one remaining arm he had, the other dragging a ways behind him by a slim strand of bloody green flesh. The blood soaked vulpine slowly lumbered toward Beltino, slightly mocking him with silent stares of intrigue. It seemed that whenever Fox was like this he never really spoke…

"Now tell me where he is…" he suddenly said.

The voice that came from Fox's mouth was nothing like Jeff or Krystal had ever heard before; it echoed through the halls, even though the halls of the Gate Station were built acoustically sound, and rather than the voice of comfort that Krystal had come to expect from the vulpine, it was low toned and carried an eerie tone that crept into her body and seemed to put a chill to every bone therein, making her skin crawl…

"You got a problem with me shooting him?" Jeff asked aiming a revolver in Fox's direction that sported a very long wide barrel.

"I don't care what tests say, that is not Fox," she said picking up a blaster from the floor. "I can't feel him at all anymore," she said firing a short which tore its way through the vulpine's chest, which sealed shut almost instantly. "The healing's gotten faster."

"Healing or no…" Jeff said stepping in front of her. "There's no stopping kinetic energy."

The blast from Jeff's pistol caused the blue vixen to drop her weapon, covering her ears with a scream of pain. She could have sworn the sound alone was going to split her skull. The sound however was nearly fully overpowered by the sheer force of the shell that carried the bloody fox into the air, dragging him a ways down the hall where he rolled to a stop. Fox slowly stood and Krystal looked on in amazement at a gaping hole in the animal's gut at least three inches in diameter; and again as he rolled his neck. She watched what seemed like his entire insides reconstruct themselves right before her eyes, before the muscle laced across his insides like a lattice work of bright red threads, before his skin seemed to wash over them like a clean coat of fresh paint, before his fur seemed to simply fall into place from the rest of his body. He then turned his attention to Jeff and Krystal, who had already recovered the beaten reptile, Jeff's attack having bought Krystal enough time to use her healing ability to stop Beltino's arm from bleeding. The animal licked a bit of blood from his muzzle…

"Hmmm…" He hummed in his eerie voice as his eyes rolled back in his head. "Not for ages have I tasted as much suffering as I have now…" he said looking to Krystal. "But nothing can compare to the suffering of the lost lover…you'll die last. And when you finally realize that there is no one else to stand at your side, you will come and you will beg for your death," he said looking to Jeff. "As for you…you do not interest me in the slightest," he said sniffing the air. "Not much suffering here yet…but that's the beauty of life, the living can be made to suffer."

Krystal and Jeff could only stand there as the animal seemed to turn and head down the hall away from them. Whoever it was that was at this point taking over Fox's body was clearly insane and powerful to boot, two traits that have never had a pleasant union. Krystal shook Beltino quite violently, thanking god that he opened his eyes…

"Beltino, this is important," she said. "You need to call for a complete evacuation of this space station right now, you understand?"

The toad managed to reach into his pocket removing a small pen like device and spoke into the end of it, causing his voice to boom from the PA system. "Ladies and gentlemen…the breach of the brig has become a life or death situation. All personnel are to report to the nearest escape pod. All ID tags will be checked. This is a priority one emergency. If you are in the docking bay, take whatever ship you can and as many animals as you can fit aboard with you. I repeat, this is a priority one evacuation"

Krystal looked to Beltino. "Now what?"

Jeff looked to them both. "We blow this place to high hell."

The toad breathed deeply. Though his arm's bleeding was stopped, he seemed to still have trouble with the pain. "No…you have no idea how many hours of work and labor went into making this station. It took billions to make it…"

Jeff suddenly lifted the toad by the front of his coat. "Listen to me you little toad, this is a lot bigger than you or this crappy little space can! If he gets to the surface of a planet right now, there's no way we can stop him!" the human shouted. "Now do you want to blow this place or do I do it for you!?"

Beltino looked shocked as the human released him back to his seat. "You…you're right. This is bigger than Omni, or any of us for that matter," he said holding up a small device. "Take it…I could never activate the destruction failsafe of this station…not on a clear conscience. The code…is…" He seemed to drift off.

"BELTINO!" Krystal shouted.

"17554…..683."

As Jeff entered the digits into the small number pad, Krystal shook the toad for a moment. "He said he was looking for someone. Who?!"

Krystal was stunned. This was the only time she'd ever seen the toad confused. "Himself. He was looking for Fox McCloud."

Krystal didn't remark on how little sense that actually made before helping the reptile to his feet and moving him to a small familiar looking vehicle parked against a far wall.

"Come on Jeff," she called to the human who quickly climbed into the vehicle. "We're heading for the docking bay. Once we're out of here we'll drop Beltino off on Corneria…" she said pausing as the vehicle's wheels squealed around a corner. "Someone has to let The Council know not to let any new ships land on the surface. After that, Beltino I need you to contact the others and tell them that I want everyone back to the Nemesis ASAP. Omni has officially become second string on our list of fucked up problems."

"I think I agree…" Jeff replied as the small vehicle took another corner nearly flipping over as I did so. "I'm not too sure what's going on here, but we need to find a way to stop that guy. If a bullet this big can punch a hole in him and he can just laugh it off, we've got a serious problem," he said holding up one of the large shells, possibly wondering how it was the bullet he'd fired hadn't killed Fox. "By the way, that thing said we've got about 5 minutes before this place goes all to hell."

Beltino grasped whatever it was he could get his hands on. "Krystal! Need I remind you that these vehicles are not meant to travel at these speeds in tight corridors!"

"I'd really love to oblige you on that Beltino!" Krystal replied. "But we've got five minutes to get out of here and that's four more than I want to spend here!"

It only took them a few moments to make it to the docking bay where Krystal and Creed loaded up into their small crafts, happy to find Vanity there waiting for them. Krystal quickly made her way to the animal's side…

"I'm glad to see you," she said. "For a moment I thought he might have gotten a hold of you."

The black-furred feline chuckled. "Not on your life…" she said turning to the Arwing at her side. "What the hell is all this alarm crap about a primary failsafe?"

"I'll explain later just get the hell out of the station now!"

The four slowly boarded the crafts. Beltino being the smallest ended up stuck in Creed's fighter, while Krystal and Vanity each took a separate Arwing. Their first stop would be Corneria to drop of the still injured professor before heading back toward Sauria and the Nemesis. As they moved away from the Gate Station, Krystal looked out at the massive structure. Hundreds of tiny pods launched from the station's surface each carrying survivors of the insane bloodlust that had taken place. As she watched on, the massive structure seemed to suddenly collapse inward before it exploded with a tremendous, yet eerily quiet explosion that rocked the small team's Arwings. It had taken decades to develop and only moments to destroy. They all looked onto the remains of the base, large pieces of floating debris, and only hoped the explosion could do what conventional weapons had proven useless to do…kill whatever horrible thing had taken over the Lylat hero's body…

*******

**Titania……**

*******

Silver's plan had worked out much better than he thought, as he could hear over a radio or two as he made his way through the halls of the ship with Sia that the base they'd infiltrated had suddenly been overrun with the band of pirates once again, and their numbers devastated the Omni troops still there. Their trek moved along the only empty halls they could find, until Sia let out a slight yelp as Silver yanked her into small, dark nook where some of the ship's wiring was made accessible. Two soldiers walked by but stopped a short ways away as one looked to a communicator on his wrist…

"Commander, was there anything in the base or did our leads fail us…AGAIN?" a voice said sounding quite irritated.

"No general I'm sorry…" the tall ferret replied. "All we found was a diamond the size of my fist. Thing must weigh about five, ten pounds…I think it may be the clear crystal they mentioned."

A heavy sigh worked through the small device. "I understand…this is no fault of yours commander. What about the tablet? Any word from Victor's men on it?"

"Sir…" the ferret replied a bit hesitantly. "I regret to inform you that the survivors of the Cerinian massacre were all released by an intruder…" He paused. "It was Knife sir."

"Knife?" the voice replied. "You mean to tell me that, that…parasite is still alive?"

"Yes sir. I believe Jeffery's entire team is still living," the ferret replied. "We cannot even trace this Jay character. With his technological background he could be anywhere or anyone by now."

"You realize that I'll have to explain this to the Omni CEO personally?" the general replied. "I can assure you he will not be very forgiving, and I will find someone to repay what he gives me seven fold, understand? So either locate these…people that keep interfering with out plans, or you'll submit yourself for what I have in store for them."

The ferret swallowed hard. "Yyyyyyye-yes sir." The animal relaxed against the wall as the line was cut leaving the ferret with the animal he walked with. "Commander or not, this job isn't worth what they fucking put us through," he said.

His friend, a younger looking feline, sighed. "No fucking kidding, but whadda ya got in mind."

"I got an idea…" he said. "That diamond…" he said patting his pocket. "You and me Tommy, we're gonna find the most beautiful beach we can find with that baby, get a few girls, and live it up. I can't even imagine how much that diamond must be worth. Barely fits in my fucking po…" He froze in fear as his paw landed flat against his thigh. He quickly dug into his pocket. "WHERE THE FUCK IS IT!?!" he shouted running down the halls looking for where he might have possible dropped it.

Sia glared at Silver. "That was really mean."

Silver stood there staring into a massive gem in his paw. "What? It wasn't his."

"Well it isn't yours either," Sia replied.

Silver slid the large stone into his pocket. "You're right…maybe we can find the real owner or something."

The two made their way through the halls until Silver sidetracked into a small, empty room to avoid a small group of animals that walked by. The small room looked like a war room of some kind, except for the fact that there was a holo projector in the center of the room sitting on top of a table. Curious, Silver activated it. The room became flooded with the image of star filled skies and small rotating orbs of varying colors. Silver looked at the thing and slowly realized what it was he was looking at…

"This is…a star chart," he said. "A big one. This is Lylat…" he said looking to the small star system's hologram. "And these other two must be Dan'jas and Stygian."

Sia examined a moving image of Corneria closely and realized that its surface bared a huge red X through its center. "Why do most of them have these Xs through them?"

As Silver moved about the room he noticed a stack of papers carelessly spread over a desk. "What's an excavation report?" he said. "It says it right here on this paper. 'Excavation of Titania surface complete, no findings to report…lot of sand.' I think that last line was supposed to be a joke." He sighed digging through the pages on the desk. "Look, here's one for Sauria, Corneria, Zoness, Papetoon, Aquas…the whole Lylat system."

"I think maybe you should take a few of those to show the others when we get back," Sia said.

Silver folded up a few and placed them in his pocket. "Good idea. Now let's turn this off before someone finds it like this."

It was just as they shut down the machine that the door to the room slid open revealing two animals who stepped inside. One looked around a bit and switched on the lights in the dark room before turning and heading back out…

"See man I told ya, you were hearing shit."

Just above the door to the room, Silver sighed in relief. These animals weren't the same as the normal breed he'd fought before; their senses seemed heightened to an abnormal level. The two were barely whispering to one another when the animals in the hall had hard them. Silver had barely managed to find the small light fixture over the door that supported his lithe frame at the moment. He lightly fell from the fixture while his canine companion's head emerged from a vent duct that hung just over a water cooler in the back of the room…

"That was too close Silver," the young husky said. "We need to get out off of this ship."

It was as they two headed out of the room after making sure their way was clear that something struck Silver that he'd not noticed before. "Sia…were you ever really guarded while you were in the prison?"

Sia thought for a moment. "No…I was there alone the whole time."

Just then a loud voice shot through the halls of the ship echoing from the hidden speakers of the PA system. "It's good to see you again, Thirteen. I'm honestly a bit disappointed that you didn't see it any sooner, really," it said. "I'm afraid you two won't leave here alive, really. The other soldiers have been sent to a safe place. You see, since you are on board I have a bit of a surprise for you." As the voice said this, a strange looking young fox seemed to walked steadily toward Silver and Sia. "I hear you call yourself Silver now. Well then, meet your little sister…well more accurately your daughter. It took hundreds of hours of labor and grueling work to make her the perfect weapon. Though getting a sample of your DNA to create her from, proved a bit…annoying," the person's voice said. "The most advanced piece of cybernetic construction ever produced, by human hand or otherwise; she's the worlds only living breathing biotech soldier, the very fist of many, the perfect combination of living tissue and cybernetics. I figured it only feasible to test her on you before mass production was put into effect. Think of the luck I had when my men discovered you here," it said. "Prototype I-36, online. Mission status, eliminate Silver Fox Project number 13."

The animal across the hall was slightly taller than Sia, which was rather tall for a female. Her body was covered in a strange looking light blue armor that covered each of her abs individually, as well as a plate of protection over each of her breasts. Holding the armored layers in place was a rather tight fitting piece of light gray material that covered what the armor did not from her thighs to her shoulders. Her fists were layered with the same armor as her front was, and she had knee high matching boots, which went with the visored helmet that covered most of her head. As the animal took several steps forward Silver stepped back a bit. He couldn't honestly harm this animal if what that voice had said was true…

"Sia, run," he said. "Get to the docking bay. This place is built like the Nemesis, I'll catch up."

As the strange armored vixen rushed at Silver, he quickly broke into a matching stride, each throwing a strong punch. Their fists struck each other in the center of the chest, causing them both to flip back through the air several feet back, causing them to roll over in the air lading on their feet. Silver studied the animal, but once again she shot back across the distance with a rapid spin that placed a powerful kick against his blocking shin. His counterattack swept the vixen's feet from under her, but she retaliated managing to swipe her foot quite painfully across Silver's face. Following through the spin the kick had sent his body into, Silver managed to plant a powerful knee into the vixen's ribs, which caused her to grunt in pain as the force slid her across the unforgiving metal floor. At times like this Silver always found it easier to read his opponent when he could look them in the eyes, but this vixen wore a helmet, so not only could he not read any emotion she might have shown, but any punch or kick he threw that might hit her face in any way might have ended up hurting him more than her. The vixen quickly rushed him again, this time however she drove her shoulder into his stomach in an unexpected assault driving him down the hall before diving forward and driving his back into the floor while her weight was driven into his gut, instantly forcing the air from his lungs. Silver's reprisal to her assault was swift. His feet caught her under her ribs while his paws grasped at her shoulders, catapulting her back first into the nearby wall with a sickening thud. The animal let out a yelp of pain as she fell to the floor, a moment in which Silver looked to Sia who still stood there.

"SIA!!! GO!!!"

The harshness of his voice caused the young canine to quickly rush off in search of the docking bay. Silver sighed before looking back to the vixen he'd been fighting. She rolled her neck lightly before rushing in on him again. Her punches and kicks met with his, each seeming to gather force as they continued. Silver's knuckles cracked against the armor plating around the vixen's fists, causing each punch that collided to give him a sudden rush of pain. Suddenly the vixen lurched out with one of her punches, slamming her forehead into the end of Silver's muzzle causing him to stumble back a bit, his eyes instantly watering over as blood began to trickle from his nostrils. He was certain she'd broken his nose. As a horrible frown etched across the normally calm vulpine's face, Silver exhaled through his nose spraying the vixen's visor with blood before leaping into the air and driving his elbow down into the top of the animal's helmet. The impact filled the hall with a loud crack, and the vixen's head bobbled about for a moment as her neck took on the elasticity of a rubber band. The blow had been much more than Silver had expected as the vixen stumbled about blindly. Silver quickly rushed in on her driving a rapid series of concussive shot into the animal's gut and rubs until the forces backed her into a wall. Silver quickly placed a boot on her chest stepping up and off her flipping forward before driving the heel of his boot into the top of her helmet causing the front of the object to shatter away from the helmet while the force of the kick drove the vixen into a seated position against the wall. Silver knelt down and pulled the helmet from her face with his claws bared and ready to finish whatever it was that Omni had sent to kill him this time. Her face was very lovely for any vixen, her fur was a light platinum color, and at the moment her eyes were closed, possibly completely unconscious. However as Silver drew back his fist, she slowly opened her eyes; they were a very brilliant shade of blue unlike any he'd ever really seen. Her irises seemed to sparkle like the waters of an open ocean. She groaned a bit as Silver pulled her up slightly by the collar of her suit. Silver's fist shook tremendously…he couldn't bring himself to kill her, though he was certain that she would have killed him. It was as he held her there that his mind flashed back to how frightened he was when he first woke up. Not only that, she was his blood…daughter, sister, clone, whatever, they were the same. A tear rolled from his eyes landing on her cheek. The silver-furred vulpine quickly fled the area leaving the vixen to herself. He was happy to find no other interruptions on the way to the docking bay. He was still a bit unsure about how to feel about the poor platinum-furred vixen that lay in that hall. Looking at her face he felt as thought he was looking at himself. There was something about that whole situation that made his stomach flip. Something was wrong about the vixen he'd fought…he doubted that he'd be able to beat her, he'd barely managed to convince himself to fight this time. Had Sia not been there, someone he knew he had to protect, there was a chance that she would have killed him…

It was as he and Sia left the docking bay that he was forced to set his stolen ship to autopilot. His ribs, elbow, and foot were all broken, and he was certain his nose was as well. It was as he leaned back in his seat that a transmission came through to his communicator…

"Silver…are you okay?" Sia's voice came from the device on his wrist.

Silver chuckled. "I've felt better…" he said. "She broke my nose. I've never had a broken nose before…it hurts," he said touching it lightly.

Sia chuckled. "Roxy isn't going to like seeing you like this at all," she said. "Did you at least finish that weirdo off?"

Silver lowered his head. "No…" he half whispered. "I couldn't…she's just like me. She practically is me."

"Then what are you gonna do now?" she asked.

"I don't know…but right now we're going to pick up Nick and Roxy, then go back home. I have some information that Krystal and the others need to hear."

Silver had his ideas of what it was Omni was after, but in the end that's all they were, ideas. All he could do now was go back to Roxy and Nick and take himself and his small group back to the Nemesis.

*******

**Kew City Slums……**

*******

The night air was just as hard to breath as ever there in Kew. He'd still heard nothing from his friends about Omni's tap on the satellites, but there had been several problems in the city itself so far; a downtown building had been blown up, no biggie in Kew City, acts of arson and terrorism were an everyday thing here. Hell, a gang would burn a place down just to have a place to warm their toes at night. However, there was something off about the recent crime wave that Creed had noticed while keeping his vigil on the roof of the hotel that he, Jane, and Alex stayed at. The young feline was of course always right by his side, afraid that she'd eventually wake up and find him dead. As he sat there, the young cheetah wrapped around him shivered a bit, causing him to pick her up and slowly making his way down the fire escape back to their room, where he found Alex again at the small, offset table flipping through the pages of a small book. He watched as Creed carried her to the bed laying her down and drawing the covers over her. He'd seen enough for the night. The massive vulpine made his way from the room's fridge carrying two drinks.

"What'cha reading?" he asked setting a drink down in front of the human.

"My favorite book…" Alex replied. "I've read it over a hundred times, I read it once a week. It's called Raven. It's about this man that wakes up in a graveyard, finds out that he's a vampire."

Creed scoffed taking a sip from the bottle he had for himself. "What's a vampire?"

Alex chuckled setting a bookmark in his place before closing his novel. "Well…" he said picking up his drink. "Thank you."

"No problem."

"Well…it's a person with intense strength and speed. Even stronger than you I'm afraid."

"There's a downside," Creed pointed out.

"Yes there is. Sunlight can burn and eventually kill a vampire, water burns their skin, garlic can put their bodies in shock, and silver makes their flesh literally dissolve, but they are also immortal in terms of aging, as long as they feed on the blood of others."

Creed curled his lip. "Drink blood. Look, I've bit people before. Blood is not something worth drinking…even though that immortality part sounds pretty good. Least I know for sure that could cure me."

"Listen, Creed," Alex said. "I know you don't like us very much…fuck, after what humans tried to do to your people, I don't blame you…but trust me when I say that Jeff is trustworthy no matter who he's working on. I've watched him patch up one of our enemies before just because he couldn't stand to see the man in pain. I know he says that you've only got like a sixty percent chance and all, but he's got a lot of luck with these things," he said. "You mind if I ask you something though?"

"I can't see why not?" Creed replied.

"That Keizer back on Macbeth…" he said. "You have no idea what kind of pneumatic pressure those things can put out…"

Creed chuckled. "Like hell I don't," he replied. "If you don't recall, I was holding one back from crushing my ass."

Alex laughed a bit. "Right, sorry. Anyhow, what were you thinking about when you were under there?"

"I've lived through near death experiences before…" he said. "And every time something different was on my mind when it happened. When I lost my arms it was my sister, this time…it was her," he said looking to Jane. "I never really paid her any mind before. It was really surprising to find out how much I really did care about her. At first I thought she was nothing but some horny teenager that had her sights on me."

"Yeah…that's how it starts sometimes," the human chuckled. "I guess."

"You got anyone waiting for you back home?" Creed asked.

Alex sighed a bit. "Nope…" he said holding up his hand showing that his wedding ring was on the wrong hand. "Divorced. Haven't really tried again…"

"Sorry," Creed said. "You know, now that I look at it, a lot of the everyday things we do as people altogether aren't all that different. Humans and Lylatians are pretty fucking similar when you think about it."

"It's our similarities that make us so much different," Alex replied. "The main problem humans ever really had was fearing anything that was different than themselves. When we ran into a race that was so much alike us, we reacted like morons…I'm just glad I wasn't around yet."

"I was little, but I was…I remember some things," Creed said. "Hearing that my aunt and uncle were taken, that I'd never see or hear from them again."

"I wish I could take it all back for everyone's sake," Alex said. "I can only do what we've already done, and apologize."

Creed sighed looking out the window. "No…you guys have apologized enough. You've only really tried to help so far…if anything I should apologize for being such a fucking dick all this time."

Alex smiled. "Don't even think on it, man. We all have our faults, right?"

Creed chuckled a bit. "Yeah I guess you're right."

As the two sat there, Alex noticed Creed's ear twitching a bit before he turned his head toward the door to their room. He slowly stood up…

"Alex…you want me to trust you?"

"It'd be nice, why?" the human replied.

"Then take Jane and get the fuck out of here, out the fire escape."

Alex noted the subtle urgency to the vulpine's voice. "What's going on?"

Creed slowly crept to the door sliding on his red shin length coat before looking through the peephole. "Omni soldiers."

A voice came through Creed's communicator. "C, we've got a problem our transmission was intercepted by…"

As the static replaced his old friend's voice, Creed looked to Alex. "Go!!!"

The large bodied fox took a few steps away from the door and quickly rushed back toward it. There were two animals sat on the other side, waiting for the signal to strike. However the door exploded in their faces as a massive animal smashed through sending them both flying in opposite directions while a third rushed Creed from the side, stabbing a short hissing baton at his ribs. The shock of the small object was more electricity than he should have felt, but it was still not enough as Creed wrapped a fist around the object causing it to arch and hiss as it was crushed in his grip. Creed pulled the animal into him grasping at the back of his skull before violently driving his face into the wall beside him, making the poor wolf's muzzle completely collapse on itself, before tossing him over the guard rail that made sure nobody fell down the spiraling staircase, which Creed now noticed was swarming with soldiers. As he stood there, several rushed up the stairs, three took a knee in front of Creed aiming large shotguns at him. He held up his paws as he slowly backed away toward the window behind him. The three fired at once causing three powerful impacts to strike the vulpine in the chest sending him hurling through the window behind him and into the roof of a vehicle which collapsed completely under the huge animal's weight. The impact of whatever had hit him had robbed his lungs of whatever air they'd had, and his three story fall onto his back didn't help matters. He looked to his chest expecting to find a bullet wound of some kind when all he found was a small, square object who's small tail had tangled in his fur…

"God damned bean bags," he said tossing it aside. "Fuckers want us alive."

Creed rolled off of the vehicle just in time to hear the sound of another of the small projectiles slamming into the surface of the vehicle. He stumbled into a nearby wall only to have one of the bags had hit the side of his head. His vision was out of whack and his momentum was slightly off. As he looked up to the rooftops he could see Alex leap from one building to the other, luckily not much of a distance as he was at the time carrying a screaming feline. As he realized that there were several animals chasing the human still, Creed reached to a trash can lid from the alleyway he stood near and turned to an animal that was about to make the jump himself. However as soon as the raccoon's feet left the first building, the lid struck him in the side of the head causing him to roll to one side as he fell from the air like a wingless bird. Creed suddenly gasped for breath as he fell to one knee clutching his chest. He coughed up a small spot of blood before rolling out of the way of a barrage of small projectiles, where he leaned against the wall. He managed to force himself through the pain to stand up and rush down the street…

"Not now…" he coughed to himself.

He turned into the wall as another bag hit his shoulder. He quickly turned about ripping the hood from a nearby vehicle. He reached for the nearest thing he could which turned out to be a small motor scooter on the side of the road, and quickly lowered his crude shield lobbing the small bike at the animal that had shot him, however the animal was quick to duck. The small bike rebounded off the blacktop and spun out of control into the air and into a passing motorist's windshield, causing the vehicle to spin out of control. The soldier was mowed over being carried a short ways before being slamming into the side of the building crushed between the heavy vehicle and the hotel wall…

"Not what I had in mind…" Creed said to himself still holding his chest as he headed down the streets.

Creed had fixed his crude shield to his back. The only way they'd hit him now was if they shot him from the front or side. His chest felt like someone was crushing his lungs, he could hardly breath, but somehow he managed to make it to the hangar where his small team's ship was docked…but his body had taken all it would. He finally fell to his paws and knees, trying his hardest to get back to his feet, but once again something struck him in the shoulder, and in what seemed like a fit of sheer rage the large vulpine half stood twisting his torso toward the shooter and hurling his large shield with all the force he could possibly muster. The impact of the flying object carried the squirrel through the air a good distance before colliding with another soldier. However, it was the last ounce of strength that the large vulpine could muster, and collapsed to the hard stone floor. His mind slowly rolled around tormenting him with all sorts of odd thoughts, about the others and Krystal, and most of all about Jane.

As he lay there waiting for his heart to finally give out completely, an animal stepped over him. It was only a hazy outline, but he could tell the creature was well armed…

"Cap'n…this one's no good, he's practically dead."

Another animal approached the fallen vulpine with a sigh. "We'd never get what we needed from this one."

Creed could almost feel the spot the animal was aiming at in head, before a shot sounded off causing the blurred image of the Captain to tumble to one side, followed by the animal next to him. It was just as a blurry yellow mass fell against his chest that his sight completely failed. Jane kept down for a moment until she could no longer hear any gunfire. Alex had proven himself a very able marksman, most of the soldiers lay on the ground. The human quickly rushed to Creed's side placing a hand on his neck…

"Is he?" Jane asked.

Alex sighed shaking his head. "No…but he will be if we don't get him out of here. His pulse is really weak," he said grabbing one of the animal's massive arms. "Come on…" he said with a grunt. "This bastard's heavy as hell. Help me get him on the ship."

Alex was now confused and concerned. Omni's attack had come out of nowhere…how had they known that the small group was in that hotel? Intercepting a transmission signal would give them a planet, even a city, but not direct coordinates…and now he had to give everyone the bad news about Creed…if the fox lived long enough to make it back to the Nemesis…

*******

**The Nemesis……**

**One day later……**

*******

Krystal sighed as she stood outside the sick bay room where Creed lay. So far she'd had far too much bad news and still had to debrief everyone on their own separate mission. From what she'd heard, none of them went over incredibly well at all. Randy was half dead when he'd arrived with Vixy and the others, Silver had been injured pretty badly, and Nick had apparently hurt himself though he wouldn't say how. So far she was certain that all she'd hear was bad news. It was a trifle on her mind just trying to block out the constant emotional feedback she was getting being this close to Jane again. Luckily however, she was learning to block it out. As she took a sip from a hot cup of coffee in her paw, Jeffery stepped out of the room and leaned against the door with a sigh…

"How is he?" she asked.

Jeff looked to her and smiled. "It was a spastic attack because his lungs and heart are healing. They're still not strong enough to handle that kind of stress…but the Mod worked. Give it about another five days and he'll be back to the animal you remember."

Krystal sighed in relief laying her head against the wall. "Finally, some good news for once."

"Speaking of which…" Jeff said. "I was told that you have a message from a Detective John Kramer…says that it's of the utmost importance and that he'll only speak with you. Wants you to call him right away."

"Hmmm…good. Maybe he has some sort of information we can actually use," Krystal said.

"By the way…" Jeff replied. "How are you doing with that whole empathy matter we talked about?"

"It's a little difficult to block out," she said placing a paw on her forehead. "With all the stress around here, it's really hard to sort through it all and separate her feelings from my own. I started crying this afternoon for no reason at all. Then I dropped a cup of hot coffee on my foot and that really made me cry." She chuckled.

"Well I have something here that might help you…" Jeff said stepping into Creed's room and coming back out with a circular object in his hands. "This is called a 'Halo'…little invention my friend and I whipped up when we found out that telepathy was a common thing in some parts of the galaxy," he said handing it to the young vixen, "It uses positronic signals to block the transmission and reception of psionic brain waves to the central cortex."

Krystal looked at the small black object that was clearly meant to be locked around her head like a headband of some kind, and then back to the human with a questioning look on her face…

"Could you please just say that without sounding like Slippy or Beltino?"

Jeff laughed. "Well I don't know who Slippy is, but I understand what you mean. It completely nullifies psionic abilities like yours as long as you're wearing it. I thought you might appreciate having a little quiet time in your head."

Krystal slipped the thing over her head and allowed her long blue hair to cover the thing back up. "It's not working yet."

Jeff tapped the side of his head. "On switch is on the left side. Normally they don't have any sort of on/off switch, but this is a special one. I'm working on one that you can wear in secret. You know, like an earring or something."

"What about this?" Krystal asked handing him the small band she normal wore on her forehead that housed a small green gem. "I always keep it in my pocket. My mother gave it to me, so try not to ruin it."

"Don't worry about it…" Jeff replied. "I'll only use this to make a copy and then give it back."

Krystal let her mind go causing a rush of all sorts of thoughts to cause her to wince suddenly before she reached up to her left temple pressing the on switch. Suddenly the voices and thoughts all dulled down until she couldn't hear them at all anymore. She scratched behind her ear…

"It kind of tingles." She chuckled.

"Yeah…I had to wear one a while back when my team was dealing with this really nasty character. He was reading our minds. He was usually gone before we could find him," he replied. "He WAS working for Omni. Snuck those suckers up on him and he never saw us coming."

Krystal sighed. "Thank you. This could really help me a lot."

"Just remember not to use it too much…" Jeff warned her. "You've been amplifying your abilities, just like exercising your whole life. Spend too much time out of practice and you may lose a bit of that mental fortitude you've built up over the years."

"Don't worry, I'll never forget something like that," she said. "Thank you Jeff."

"No problem, but I think you should get to the bridge and check any other transmissions you might have."

Krystal thought to herself as she walked toward the bridge. She already loved the small device around her crown. She'd never in her entire life known how it felt to be a normal animal, to think only her own thoughts. It would certainly give her many brief hours of relief when the stress was simply far too much for her to take. She happily made her way to the bridge, where she sat in the seat Fox would have normally sat and punched in the com channel that the Detective had given her. She waited a bit until the image of the leopard came up…

"Hello, Detective Kramer," Krystal greeted the large hologram.

"Ah, I was hoping I'd reach you sometime soon Mrs. McCloud…" The feline froze up as he realized Krystal looked a bit shocked. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

Krystal blushed a bit. "No…it's just that…nobody's ever called me that before." She smiled. "Just Krystal will do, Detective."

"Alright, as long as you call me John instead of Detective," he replied. "Something unsettling about someone calling me that all the time."

"I'll bet…" Krystal replied. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I'm on Papetoon right now with a suspect to that whole fiasco with the hospital on Corneria. Problem is he refuses to speak with anyone but you."

Krystal thought for a moment. "Who? I don't know anyone that stays on that planet, and the people I did know from there are all dead. And why me?"

John seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Um…it's hard to explain. He says you need to know what he knows more than anyone else, because apparently you're the person that would understand."

"That hardly makes any sense, but…I guess I should check this out if he may know something about Fox."

"There are several problems we've got too…" John pointed out. "See, we ran a polygraph on this guy. It was perfectly stable, guy can't lie. Brainwave scans, they're peaked. His body is flawless, no marks no scars. We even ordered a blood test…it was the purest sample of blood any of these doctors have ever seen, not even a trace of any toxin. They even ran his blood over a few samples of some diseases…it killed every disease we could run through it," the detective said. "It's almost like this guy is…perfect."

Krystal wasn't sure what this meant, but with all that was going on, this couldn't be a coincidence. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Did Va…the General get there yet."

"Yes…" John replied. "The entire Council has been moved to a safe, secure, secret location. They'll only use an isolated transmission to contact anyone until this has all blown over. The General is amassing whatever forces she can muster to launch a counter offensive on the Omni forces that took over Corneria."

"Good, it's about time someone decided to start fighting back," Krystal replied. "I'll get down there as soon as I can so we can sort this out."

"Alright, I'll keep our friend down here company until you arrive."

As she turned the ship's com system off, she leaned back with a relieved sight. It helped a lot that the only real stress she felt right now was her own. Her headache had nothing to fuel it or make it any worse. Her thoughts were jumbled but at least they were only hers, and she nearly found herself nodding off before she jolted upright and quickly turned on the ship's PA system…

"Everyone report to the bridge…" she said. "We need to go over whatever happened with each of your teams."

As she finished her small announcement, the vixen lay back against the headrest of her seat again. She was at the time the most relaxed she'd been in some time, especially after hearing that she wasn't pregnant. However, she was sure that her relaxation wouldn't last long at all…

*******

**Undisclosed Location……**

*******

The large shadowed figurehead of the Omni corporation sat at his desk, looking out his window into the vastness of the massive span of buildings that wrapped around the facility. It was his legacy, the largest, single most powerful entity in the universe, or so he'd believed before. Now something threatened it all, and its name was Fox McCloud. A young male minx stood near his desk…

"Um, Sir?" he said nervously attempting to gather the animal's attention.

"What is it Orsen?" the shadowy figure's voice asked emitting a cloud of gray smoke as he flicked the end of his cigar clean.

"Nothing sir. Just that….we've…um, finished translating the tablet," the minx said. "It maps out three dimensional coordinates…we're evaluating where those coordinates are right now, but first we need to know the origin of the tablet itself or we may never find the exact spot its mapping out."

The animal behind the desk chuckled. "Good. Best news I've heard all week."

"On top of that, sir," the minx said. "We captured an intruder at one of our bases. He managed to kill several guards, but in the end he was no match for any of us. He worked for the company before as well…I believe his name is Julius sir."

The cigar-smoking creature scratched his chin. "Hmmm…the one that ran off with the Cerinians." He chuckled. "I could use this. Bring him to me."

The young minx rushed quickly out of the room leaving the company's boss to himself. He simply spun his seat around again and looked out his window. Everything simply seemed to fall into place today…

"Doctor…" he called causing the minx to stop at the door.

"Um…yes sir?"

"How did your test run of the new prototype work against 13?"

The minx went over some papers. "Better than expected sir. Running at 10 percent capacity she managed to injure him on more than one occasion," he said. "However, she did manage to absorb a very nasty head injury in the process. We can modify her all we want, but for the most part she is only a living creature…she'll need a bit of time to recover before we can send her again."

The boss sighed. "Understood…next time no playing around. I want her parameters set to 80 percent," he said. "How goes the work with the Bio-mods?"

"The modified soldiers are showing massive improvements in their skills. They're stronger, faster, more alert, and two of them have displayed some minor increase in their body's healing process, thought it's not a significant increase, it is a step forward and one we never really expected."

"Good, gather nine of the modified soldiers and send them to Corneria so that we can see what they can do about this little resistance movement that keeps bothering us down there."

"Right away sir."

This time the Minx made his way quickly out of the room, leaving his boss once again to his thoughts.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author Notes:**_ Okay here's chapter 13 I've still go this pretty much pegged down to about twenty chapters but, you know shit happens. Anyhow, thanks for the tons of supprot. Don't forget to R&R and I'll see ya all next update..._

_The Footsteps in the Dakness ~ SkullFox_

* * *

**Chapter 13…**

_**The Nemesis…**_

Krystal lay in bed, normally by now she'd have been awake for hours, however thanks to Jeff's little invention her mind was perfectly clear. There was nothing on her mind short of her own thoughts. She groaned a bit as she stretched her back. Her sight seemed to instantly meet with the eyes of a familiar looking pale furred vixen…

"Comfy dear?"

The blue vixen smiled as she nodded. "I haven't slept like that in a long time."

"Since Fox?" Vixy asked.

Krystal sighed a bit. "Yeah…"

"Oh I'm sorry dear…" Vixy said. "We should be in orbit around Papetoon in a little less than an hour. Jeff told me about your little problem…"

"Yes, if that is what pregnancy is really like it's not something I particularly look forward too."

Vixy sighed looking to a small photo beside the vixen's bed portraying herself with Fox. "I think in time you'll find the pros far outweigh the cons," she said. "Anyhow, I think you should get some breakfast. It's nearly noon, about three o'clock on Papetoon."

The cerulean furred vixen tossed her covers aside causing Vixy to chuckle. "So you always sleep like this?" she asked noting that the vixen was only wearing a pair of panties.

"Sometimes…" Krystal replied heading for the closet. "It just feels better to sleep like this. Funny though, I slept like this all the time on Cerinia and didn't start again until I became Kursed."

As Krystal pulled a gray tank top over her torso Vixy looked about. "You know dear, I've never heard of a Cerinian whose abilities can do what yours did," she said. "Telepathy is one thing, but, your Empathy must be stronger than I could possibly imagine. Maybe that's why you've always had trouble sleeping around large groups of people."

Krystal nodded. "It started when I was still very young…about thirteen. I didn't just hear thoughts like the others, I could feel them, like they were my own. Mother said it was only natural at my age to mistake telepathic thoughts for my own, so I stopped paying any mind to them. Sometimes it got so bad that I'd stay away from the village for days at a time. That's why I was so happy when I first joined the Star Fox team, the idea of living out here in space, where there were only four minds around other than mine."

"I've never really had anything special about my own abilities…" Vixy said. "They've always been fairly average for a Cerinian."

"Then why was Fox able to do what he did?" Krystal thought out loud. "Collapsing a space station on top of itself using nothing but telekinesis would take an absurd amount of strength."

"I'm not sure…" Vixy replied. "To be honest, I've never seen or heard of anything like that before."

Krystal and Vixy headed out into the halls. "You know…it was funny, it didn't feel like any kind of Cerinian ability at all…it felt completely foreign, like just for that moment Fox wasn't even there anymore."

The two continued to theorize as they both headed off toward the kitchen. Krystal could only wonder what it was that waited for her on Papetoon, but even with her abilities there was no way of knowing. The good Detective had refused to give her the details, just told her that she should get to Papetoon as soon as possible…

*******

**Sick Bay…**

*******

Randy lay sleeping on a hard metal bed, a white curtain separated his bed from the large, injured fox adjacent to him. Jeff monitored the two closely, there were no other serious injuries. The large human sat at a small desk going over some recent tests of the more serious of the two injured when a light voice caught his attention…

"How are they?"

Jeff sighed. "Mika right?"

"Yes," The pale furred minx replied.

"Try not to sneak up on people like that…I swear you're just like Randy," The human said.

Mika sighed. "You didn't answer my question."

Jeff chuckled. "Creed seems to be recovering a bit slower than I'd like, but on a positive note the mod has all but killed off the virus. He'll be back to normal in a few days," he replied. "Randy however, has lost a lot of blood…if the little blue one hadn't helped when she did…well, there'd be one less body on this ship."

"You know he's out of his mind right?"

Jeff laughed out loud before stifling it in fear of waking his two patients. "I understand what you mean. His methods can be a bit extreme at times, but most often his heart is in the right place, even if his mind is somewhere else."

"He could have gotten us all killed…" Mika retorted. "He rushed into a situation he didn't fully understand, and because of it he put every person on my team in danger, not to mention the Cerinians we have on board now. They were all locked up, and he did nothing to even try to help them," she said. "He's selfish, and a danger to everyone on this ship."

The pale furred minx cut herself off as she noticed the human standing by his bed. His ribs were wrapped in bandages, and his eye was half swollen shut. He didn't say a word as he walked up to her causing her to look to Jeff questioningly before Randy forced something into her paw, and proceeded to limp out of the sick bay. Mika looked only to see a small set of keys in her paw…

"And what's this?" she asked.

Randy stopped at the door for a moment. "The keys that I needed to get those girls out of the base," he said walking out of the room. "Victor had 'em."

As Mika stood there staring at the keys in her paw Jeff stood up with a sigh. "I know it's hard to accept us on any ground, and I know that Randy can come off a little harsh and uncaring at some point…but it's like I told you, his heart is always in the right place. I know him well enough to tell you that. Even if it cost him his life, he wouldn't have left that base without those girls," he said walking to Creed's station and checking the machines once more before walking to the door. "He's an asshole no doubt…but, he's far from heartless."

The human then left the young minx to her thoughts, standing alone in a room, whose only sound was that of the machine slowly keeping rhythm with Creed's heartbeat…

*******

Lia sat next to her bed where Terya lay, still unable to sleep. The child had stayed up all night at Randy's bedside. She'd still gotten little to no sleep from what Lia could see. She knew that the little blue vixen was tired, but she also knew that despite how little she knew the human, she was already oddly fond of him. As she sat there Terya's ears twitched toward the door, moments before there was a soft tap on it from the outside…

"Who's there?" Lia called.

The familiar human's voice caused the little vixen to sit up. "It's me…I wanted to thank the kid if she's awake…I kind of owe her my life from what I hear."

Lia sighed. Maybe seeing that he was alright would finally make Terya get some sleep.

"Come in."

Terya's ears fell back as the human entered the room, limping a bit and holding his ribs. Even though he must have been in pain however he still managed to smile a bit. He slowly made his way over to the vixen's beside, where Lia looked to him…

"You look like a bus hit you…" she said.

Randy chuckled. "Yeah…actually the bus missed me."

"I'm glad you're awake, she's been really worried about you," Lia replied. "I don't think she's gotten any sleep tonight at all," she said. "Look would you mind keeping an eye on her while I run to the kitchen…I need something that'll keep me awake."

"No problem," Randy replied, taking the vixen's seat as she stood up. "I guess I owe her that much."

As he sat there alone the young vixen looked at him. She seemed a bit worried about his injuries as she kept looking to his ribs…

"I'm fine kid…" He chuckled. "I've been a lot worse off, but I should thank you. I don't know what you did, but it kept my ass alive. You need to get some sleep though," he said getting only a strange look from the vixen that caused him to smile a bit. "I've never been good at this whole kid thing…" he said looking to her. "You probably don't understand a damn thing I'm saying do you? Course you don't."

Something about the little Cerinian made him feel strange. She came to him so readily on Sauria, and only after looking into his eyes for just a moment. He wondered what it was she saw in him that made her think that she could trust him so much. He wished she would simply open her little mouth and say something…but his wish was never answered. She simply sat there staring at him, as if she was waiting for him to say something again…

"Wow…" he chuckled. "You really know how to make someone feel uncomfortable don't ya kid?" he said. "Lemme see…what was that Viv used to say about making a kid your age go to sleep…something about a story…"

Her ears instantly zeroed in on the sound of that one word…

"So you do understand a little don't you?" Randy asked. "Wow…I…don't really know any stories." He stopped for a moment looking about to make certain that nobody was there and that Lia wasn't back yet. "Well maybe I know one."

"Alright…" the human said. "You keep this between us alright?" he asked. "A long time ago, in a place that doesn't exist anymore, there was this kid. He had no family or friends, all he had to remember his family by was a strange weapon. A lot like this one…" he said holding up his sheathed sword. "He seemed to find himself always fighting. Someone would attack him on the street or in an alleyway, but anytime he was attacked, it was the same outcome…he'd live and the other person ended up dead. He figured that he was being attacked all the time because the weapon he was carrying had a really special type of metal on it, called gold," he said. "In the place he came from money was really hard to come by…" The human sighed, pausing to look around the room again, but as Randy realized nobody was there he turned back to Terya. "Anyhow, days went by, and weeks, and months, and years, and like all people your size he grew up. Unfortunately, this particular kid grew up hating pretty much everything; people, animals, even himself. He hated people because he knew that as soon as he trusted someone even a little, they'd turn on him, he hated animals because they were just as undependable as people were, and he hated himself…just for hating everything," he said. "It was only natural for him to fall into his line of work…killing for money. After all he didn't care who it was he killed, well for most people. And his life again just became nothing but killing…" Randy took a moment to check the room again, only to realize that there was nobody there. "One day however, the man met this woman. It seemed like no matter where he went he kept meeting her again, and again, he saw her so much that he began to develop feelings for her. Until one night, a person attacked him in his home. He'd been attacked like this so many times that the man never really slept, and when he did, the slightest sound…" he said snapping his fingers. "…would wake him right up. When the fighting stopped…he was bloody and beaten. He'd never had a fight like that in his entire life, but when he looked at his opponent's face he couldn't believe what he saw. He'd just killed the girl he'd been seeing every day. She was an assassin just like him, she was watching him and studying him, trying to find out what made him weak. The man couldn't understand it…why it hurt so much that he'd killed one woman. He'd killed plenty before…something had changed and it was something that he could never fix. He'd started to care…that was the day he realized he'd never be able to take a life in anger ever again…"

The human sighed with a smile as he noticed she was asleep. "Wow. And I always thought Viv was nuts when she told me that always worked." As he felt something, Randy's body went rigid. He quickly turned about to see Mika standing there…

Mika was a bit startled that he noticed. "The man in the story…it was you wasn't it?" she asked.

Randy stood up and limped to the door moving her aside before walking out of the room, using his shoulder to shove the minx out of his way. It was as she stood there that she realized that she'd gone over the line…

Mika sighed as she stood there. His entire life had meant nothing but death to him, and here he was actually risking his life to save the lives of others. She wondered how badly she'd screwed up this time. Did he hate her? Or mistrust her now? Now that she thought on it she wasn't all that certain he'd trusted her before. Why was it so difficult to let him know that she was sorry for talking down to him in the sick bay. She'd been so fast to label him as an uncaring monster of some kind. Maybe she really did just hate humans themselves on some level…

*******

The Nemesis reached Papetoon in no time at all. Only four animals left the ship, while leaving the humans behind so as not to freak anyone out on the streets. Krystal, Vixy, and Silver and Roxy, as the pink furred bunny had convinced her young lover that they needed to get out into a city that wouldn't get them shot at. That aside from the fact that Roxy was certain Silver was still feeling the effects of fighting the platinum furred vixen on the Omni ship over Titania.

As Krystal and Vixy stood there before the building the detective had told Krystal to meet him, Vixy looked about…

"The place hasn't changed much," she said.

"Not in twenty-six years ma'am." A familiar voice came from behind causing them to turn about. "Hello Mrs. McCloud."

Vixy smiled as she shook the feline's paw. "Hello John, it's nice being home. How's the family?"

"Beats the hell outta me, been divorced for five years," John replied. "Teresa just wasn't the same after Michelle died. Doctors told us it was terminal, but I don't think she believed it for a minute."

Vixy sighed. "It's a shame, she was a great kid."

"Thanks," the detective replied. "Follow me and we'll see what's up about this guy."

As the three headed down the dull, dim halls, Krystal thought for a moment before looking to the young leopard. "What's the deal with this guy anyhow?" she asked. "You told me that he was perfect? What does that even mean?"

"Well that was the word the science boys used," he replied. "See they decided that they wanted to run another test before you all got here. He agreed to give them a bit more blood to work with. Well they injected two lab rats with it, one was nearly dead when injected, he was running circles in his cage in five minutes healthy as the day he was born, and the other was healthy as hell, five minutes later, dead as a fuck'n doornail. The effect completely reversed itself, doesn't make any fuck'n sense at all."

"An injection of foreign blood shouldn't have had either of those effects really," Vixy replied.

"Why is it he wants to talk to me in the first place?" Krystal asked.

"That's the point that I wanted to explain when we got here…" the feline said stopping in front of the window of a small door. "He originally claimed that he was Fox McCloud."

"That isn't possible…" Krystal replied.

"Exactly, because I checked. When we arrested this guy for indecent exposure in a public place, we had just heard that Fox McCloud was still being held in the Orbital Gate Station. However, when we ran his blood test…there was one positive thing we could pull from the logs without a doubt…and that was that this animal is within a two percent margin of error, Fox McCloud."

Krystal was stunned as the feline stepped to one side allowing her to look through the glass to the vulpine sitting across the room at a long table. "That's…impossible. How can somebody be in two places at once?" she asked turning the halo Jeff had given her off. In that instance a voice shot through her mind.

"_Come inside and I'll tell you."_

Krystal looked to the two with her. "Come on, he wants to talk to us. He knows we're out here."

"How do you know that?" John asked.

"Because he just told me so," the vixen replied. "I don't know who that is, but he's telepathic."

John sighed. "I'll leave you ladies to yourselves. If you need anything just let me know."

"Won't your superiors get angry letting us in there?" Krystal asked.

John smiled with a wink as he opened the door. "Ma'am, I'm not really a detective. I'm with Lylat Central Intelligence. Most of the time Detective is just my cover when I'm working on Corneria or here on Papetoon. When they heard all this was going on, they called me since I was still in the area. This place is completely at your disposal right now."

Krystal smiled as she walked into the room. As Vixy walked by she chuckled. "James always said you'd go to the top…I don't think he has any idea how right he was."

There were only three seats in the room, and as the three sat at the table there was an uncomfortable silence about the room. The two vixen definitely wanted to say something, and they knew that they were called here for the fox to talk about something, but so far not a word was spoken. Krystal looked to the impersonator, who simply smiled, before looking to Vixy who simply shrugged her shoulders…

"Well?" the irritated blue vixen half shouted. "Who the hell are you?"

"Exactly what I was waiting to hear," the vulpine replied with a joyous smile. "Who do you think I am? Then again, who are any of us other than who we make ourselves out to be?"

Krystal growled angrily. "You told those men that you're Fox McCloud…"

"Don't forget the blood test, urine sample, brainwave scan, and polygraph. They also performed a CAT scan, but I seriously doubt they told you about that one….it yielded no unusual results."

"Whatever!!" Krystal yelled. "How did you lie to those tests?"

The fox smiled as he clasped his paws together laying them on the table. "Simple…I didn't."

"That's BULLSHIT!!!" the cerulean vixen yelled slamming her fists into the table. "Fox McCloud is aboard the Gate Station right now."

"If you really believe that…" he replied. "Then why are you shaking? I understand how this can be hard on you, and Mrs. McCloud as well, but you must understand that I am telling the truth," he said. "Whether or not you choose to believe me…I am Fox McCloud."

Krystal sighed trying her hardest go calm herself. He was telling the truth. She was in his head, everything he said showed no hints of a lie at all. "You just can't be Fox…"

"And why is that?" he asked turning to Vixy. "Surely you can recognize your own son."

Vixy chuckled. "I can…and don't call me Shirley."

The vulpine chuckled a bit. "That was James's joke."

Vixy squinted a bit. "You are Fox…but, you're not…my Fox," she said. "Are you?"

"As informed as ever…" he replied. "If I may just explain? A little over a month ago, Fox McCloud had a black shard lodged into his body. So far you've heard several things about it, they are all true in some way or other. The Vyserage was never entirely destroyed when the light and darkness collided eons ago. Instead the Vyserage somehow managed to split his spirit into the consciousness of all living things in the universe. We often have impulses that tell us to do things that we know are wrong…this is that small part of the darkness within each of us. That shard, whether it is the last fragment of that twisted creature's body or not, it corrupts the soul splitting its nature. I am the composite of everything that made Fox McCloud a decent, caring person; his bravery, courage, determination, and his caring nature."

"Wait a minute…" Krystal said holding her head for a moment. "You're telling us that you're Fox McCloud's better side? Then that would make that other Fox?"

"The complete physical shape of everything that could have made him a horrible person. Parts of himself that he never showed, or perhaps even feared himself. Its insatiable bloodlust would be a key sign of it, on some level Fox enjoyed fighting," he said. "In the eyes of the Vyserage this was something it could use, and manipulated and perverted it to the most foul state he possible could. That shard seems to give the Vyserage a direct link with Fox's body, like a one way conduit of some sort."

Vixy thought for a moment. "Why would it split the soul? I've heard of this being done before, but it weakens the soul entirely…both halves."

"Very true," the fox replied. "And answerable. When the light and darkness destroyed one another, the darkness of course found a way to impose itself onto the populace of the universe. However, the light also had plans to do just that, but with a positive force. The Flame of Life is an eternally burning fire, the small embers that fall from it are known as The Sparks of Creation. These sparks are the focal point to the living soul of everything in the universe, it is what makes life possible, it also is a force that the Vyserage cannot combat. I believe the shard is also a means of which to pass the Spark from its host. That would make me Fox's 'Spark of Life' so to speak."

"How do you know all of this?" Krystal asked.

Fox paused for a moment. "That…I am not so sure of. I woke up, I was here on this planet, and I knew these things. Perhaps because it is something that we simply needed to know, or perhaps it is something that the inner motes of the soul simply know. In either instance, I am sorry that I cannot answer that question."

Krystal thought for a moment about everything she'd heard. "This all fits…at about the same time they said John's message got to the Nemesis, Beltino, Jeff, and I were evacuating the Gate Station because Fox had gone berserk and busted out of his cell, started slaughtering everything in sight."

The chestnut furred vulpine nearly leaped from his seat. "Is there any way for it to get off of that base?"

"I don't know…" Krystal replied. "When you're running from something that can take a four inch hole in the chest and smile at you, you really don't bother looking back."

Vixy held up a paw. "Fox…do you know what it is the Vyserage wants?"

"Of course I do…" he replied. "The realm between life and death, The Axis of Creation, where the flame lies. If the Vyserage can get to it, it could corrupt the Flame entirely."

Vixy looked to Krystal. "And what happens if the Flame of Life is corrupted?"

"The universe will be plunged into an era of never ending chaos," he replied. "The universe would become a place without happiness, peace, laughter…or even love. Instead the only thing anyone would feel is hatred, pain, sorrow, and violence. For instance…Krystal, your love for Fox would become twisted. What you once loved about one another, you'd despise about one another, what attracted you would quickly divide you. And what drew the two of you together would eventually put you at one another's throats. There is no place for love in the Vyserage's perfect universe, there is only death and suffering."

"Since the Vyserage is here then we have no problem right?" Krystal replied. "All we have to do is get that shard out of Fox."

"No…" the vulpine said. "Remove the shard and Fox's body will lose its ability to sustain itself, and die, killing the three of us as well."

"Three?" Vixy asked.

"Yes three pieces of one whole. We are what he is, while WHO he is, is somewhere else entirely."

"Where is he then?" Krystal asked.

"Exactly where we all need him to be."

*******

"_Adreus!!!" Fox's voice echoed around the pale scenery. "Why am I here again!?!"_

_The chestnut furred vulpine looked about for a bit. "Here is where you will remain until the time is right." The mysterious vixen's voice echoed through the endless space. "There is a storm coming Fox McCloud…and it is one that may very well change this universe altogether."_

"_Where are the others? Is Krystal safe?"_

"_Yes…they are with you," The vixen's reply echoed through the area._

"_What do you mean they are with me? That doesn't make any sense," Fox shouted._

"_Do not worry…they are safe…" Adreus replied. "The Vyserage will not approach them as long as The Light is with them. You must prepare yourself, the time will come soon for you to choose, and I am afraid that neither choice will be a simple one…"_

_Fox sighed. "I have to see her. I need to talk to Krystal, right now."_

_Fox jumped as a pair of paws gently caressed the sides of his head, only to find they were white with gentle black strips across them…_

"_Very well…close your eyes, but be quick."_

*******

Krystal and Vixy couldn't stop staring. The strange creature that was apparently one third of Fox's being had suddenly frozen in place, not moving or saying a word. Krystal slowly stood making her way to his side. She snapped her fingers in front of his face…

"Hello?"

Krystal suddenly leapt back as the fox's eyes suddenly shot open. "Krystal? Are you there? I can't see anything."

It was as the creature reached about that Krystal stepped forward. "I'm right here."

The fox's paw quickly moved reaching out to her where it met with hers. His face froze in awe. "I-I can feel you. You're okay," he said slowly moving his paw up her arm.

A tear slowly fell from the vixen's eye as there was something familiar about his touch. "Fox?" she asked slowly placing her paw on his cheek. "Is that really you?"

The fox's paw quickly jumped to hers, slowly laying his head into her palm. As he did this he slowly stood up using her paw to guide her into a warm embrace, the like of which they had both greatly missed. It seemed like forever that they stood there in each other's arms, however, forever did not last long enough, as he slowly pushed her away…

"Krystal I don't have a whole lot of time like this," he said. "So listen carefully…"

As she waited there the vixen yelped as she was sharply pulled into an incredibly passionate kiss, the like of which she'd never experienced before. She was convinced without a shadow of a doubt that this was the real Fox, only Fox McCloud could ever make her feel the way she felt right now. She slowly fell into the kiss, wrapping her arms around the vulpine's shoulders, but she was soon pulled away and into another hug where his soft breath caused her ear to twitch…

"I love you…" he whispered to her. "I promise that I'll be back for you. Please stay safe."

As quickly as it seemed it had all started, the vulpine's eyes slowly fluttered causing him to push her away a bit…

"I am sorry, Krystal. He is no longer here."

The blue vixen reluctantly released the image of her love, wiping the tears from her eyes. "No. Thank you," she said heading quickly to the door. "I'm sorry, but I just need to be alone for a while."

As the distraught vixen headed out of the room the young fox looked to Vixy. "You seem to take this in stride, considering what's at risk."

"If you are any part of my son, then you know that I have nothing but faith in him…" she pointed out. "Even if this universe should be brought to an end, I will always have faith and love for my son…that's all I need to understand. I know Krystal feels the same way, but she's still very young, especially for a Cerinian. She still lets her emotions control her thoughts at times. All the time she's spent with Fox I imagine it's a bit hard seeing you sitting here in front of her, just as I'm sure it was extra hard having him in her arms just a moment ago only to have him pulled back away from her."

The vulpine nodded. "I understand what it is you mean, as I know Fox has nothing but faith and love for all of you," he said. "Unfortunately, I can only feel what he feels, I cannot express it, as I am not that part of who he is."

"As long as we have an understanding then," Vixy replied. "Just tell him something for me if you have the chance. Tell him that I am proud of him, no matter what it is he does, as long as he tries…I could never ask for more."

Vixy eventually called John back into the room, where the image of her son slowly explained most of what he'd told the two vixen, while of course leaving out the more intricate details. Vixy wondered where it was Krystal had gotten herself off to, but the young vixen needed to be alone. Her mind was young, and having trouble handling everything that she'd been through so far, and being torn away from Fox again, was the last push she needed…

*******

Jane had stepped out of the sick bay to get some lunch when the large red furred vulpine slowly sat up with a mild groan. His chest hurt, though it felt like a sort of cramp, his neck was stiff, and he felt a horrible pain in his side where he'd been hit with a stun baton, and he had a horrible headache. As he held a paw against the side of his head he looked to a familiar, large figure sitting at a desk…

"So?" he asked. "What's the verdict Doc?"

Though he remained hunched over the desk, Jeff chuckled sitting back in his seat. "You've got a slight concussion…" he replied tossing a projectile beanbag onto the vulpine's lap. "Caused by one of these hitting you in the head, second degree electrical burn on your ribs…"

"You know what I mean," Creed interrupted with a sigh.

"Well…" the human replied standing up and walking over to him. "The virus is no longer in your system. Right now, you should feel a cramping sensation in your chest, that's the mod repairing the damages done by the virus, though they won't repair everything. I didn't think you'd like having that thing in your system, so it's a temp–mod. After it's run its course, your body will expel the Nanites."

Creed smiled at the thought of being healthy again. "Wait…expel?"

"Yes…" Jeff replied. "Most often in the urinary tract, you'll know when it happens. It'll be slightly uncomfortable, and a tiny bit bloody. Like a kidney stone, just no excruciatingly blinding pain."

"Been there…" Creed said slightly shuttering at the mention of a kidney stone. "Listen, I'm not sure if I said this before…but, I'm grateful. Thank you."

"There's no need to thank me…I simply did what any doctor that values his profession would have; did everything I could to keep a very sick person from dying," Jeff replied. "However, there is something I'd like to show you," he said.

"What might that be?" Creed asked, pulling some wires from his chest.

Jeff chuckled. "Well, it took some more x-rays while you were under, and found something unusual that I missed last time. It's nothing lethal, just…unique. I didn't notice it last time because I never looked at your muscular structure."

Creed looked confused for a moment. "Why, what's wrong with my muscles?"

"Nothing bad…" He replied removing several strands of string from his pocket. "Listen…" he said laying them out and lining them up side by side. "This is how muscle fibers lay, right."

Creed smiled. "I'm muscle-bound, not retarded, Doc."

Jeff chuckled. "I'm very sorry, meant nothing by it," he replied. "Anyhow, as I said, normally muscular fibers lay like so. However, I believe that your body has adjusted to your bionics in a very unusual manner," he said taking the ends of the strings and lifting them. "As you used your arms over the years your body has adjusted to the additional weight that you've been lifting, and force that they're putting off…" he pointed out slowly twisting the ends until the fibers formed a sort of small rope. "Over those years yours have done this, compounding them, and strengthening them to a heightened state," he said giving Creed a moment to think on it. "Think like, steel support cables. Because they take up less space in this compacted form, your body can hold more muscle than normal. You've got to be one of the strongest creatures I've ever had the honor of examining. Tell me, what's the heaviest thing you've ever lifted."

Creed thought back to a time on Corneria when the team was looking for a fragment of the Cerinian Blade that went to Krystal's staff. "What? 2 and a half, maybe 3 tons. Big ass chunk of a wall collapsed, locked these people in a building. Fucked myself up lifting it too."

Jeff thought for a moment. "So that's about your limit then," he said. "Strongest human I've ever seen can only lift about a ton, maybe a small bit more," he said. "Other than that, your bionics, they're more advanced than any cybernetics I've ever seen, they even have artificial synapses to give you a sense of touch again."

"Not bionics, they're called Neural Links," he said. "They're directly integrated into my nervous system, so they're cybernetic, but they're pretty much just like real arms."

"Well that answers all the questions I had…" the human said. "Welcome back to the land of the long lived," he said shaking the fox's paw. "Jane should be back shortly. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go see about an injured moron that thinks he's just fine."

As Jeff left the room, Creed remained seated when a familiar smell caught his senses, it wasn't Jane, in fact it was the last person he'd expected to come…

"Lia…" he called to the animal sitting outside the room. "If you're coming in come in, don't just stand there."

The vixen slowly entered the room holding a bottled drink of some kind. She seemed oddly timid, but jumped as she heard his voice…

"Hey!" he shouted playfully. "Enough of this shy crap, gimme a fuck'n hug," he said holding out his arms to her. "I just found out that I ain't dying, big guys get a little emotional under this kinda stress."

Though she was a bit hesitant, Lia slowly walked into her brother's arms wrapping hers about his neck…

"I know why you haven't been coming around me," he said.

"Creed listen I never thought you were…"

He quickly pushed her away to look her in the eyes. "I know. At first I thought you saw me as some sort of freak or monster or something. Krystal wised me up to that though," he said. "Now listen to me cuz I'm only going to say this once alright?" he said. "You are my sister. You're my only little sister, and the only family I have left. I'd never do anything if I thought it, in any way, made you feel useless, and I would never replace you with anyone. Krystal is my best friend, and yeah in a way she is like a little sister to me. Hell if you knew half the shit her and I have been through together you'd understand why. I've saved her life, she's saved mine, that builds a relationship most of the time. The fact of the matter is that she can never be you, and no matter how much you may think otherwise, I do need you…" he said noticing that she had turned her sight to the floor. He slowly tilted her chin up to make her look at him again with tears in her eyes. "We all do, you're a part of this team…and according to Fox that makes you family to everyone on this ship," he said drawing her back into his arms. "You're more like Krystal than you know…you're both so damned stubborn, it's miserable."

Lia sighed a bit. "Creed…we really don't stand a chance against Omni, do we?"

The large fox looked for some sort of comforting words. "I honestly don't know kid. Our chances don't look too good but…where there's a will right?" he said. "People may not give a shit about each other, but they tend to unite in odd ways when something threatens their homes. Just watch and you'll see what I mean. Omni picked a fight, and they have no idea how big a fight it is yet. All of Lylat is realizing that Fox McCloud and Star Fox isn't gonna be there to bail them out this time, and once they come to terms with that they are gonna fight back, and hard."

As the two sat there Jane eventually found her way back to the room. She'd hoped to get to know Jane better than she already did, now was a good time…

*******

**Docking Bay…**

**The Nemesis…**

*******

Alex finally stepped away from the automated Keizer that Randy had destroyed on Macbeth. Sia seemed to spend a lot of time around the human as she found him to be interesting, and liked the fact that he felt a need to teach her whatever it was he was doing. He tapped his finger on his chin a bit in thought, while wiping a bit of sweat from his forehead, leaving behind a small streak of oil. It was as he thought to himself that he looked to his tall friend that stood just off near a small console…

"Nick…you get those scans done yet?" he shouted.

Nick sighed a bit looking at a small hologram of a hoop shaped object. "Yeah, you sure you know what you're talking about though?"

"When have I ever been wrong when it related to a Keizer?" Alex asked causing Nick to freeze in through for a moment. "Never, now give me that print out."

The human looked over the small sheet of paper while Sia read it from over his shoulder. Alex sighed…

"This fuck'n thing was never automated," he said looking to the Keizer. "Psychomagnetheric control."

Nick thought for a moment. "Alex…sounding like Jeff."

"Someone was wearing a device around his, or her head…and controlling this thing with their thoughts," he replied. "Those guys that were shooting at us could have been running away the whole time while fighting us off with that Keizer."

Nick scratched the back of his neck. "This is really bad."

"Why?" Sia asked.

"Think about it kid," Alex replied. "Omni could have an entire army of these things on the line. Lylatians don't have these sort of ground-based troops. It's funny though, Psychomagnetheric technology was…" He paused looking to Nick.

"Jay's profession," the tall, thin human replied lowering his head. "Not Jay too."

Alex pressed his fingers to his ear. "Jeff…we got some bad news. I think Omni might have Jay. Get down to the docking bay…we've got a lot to go over."

*******

**Two hours later…**

**The bridge…**

*******

Most everyone was waiting on the bridge of the ship, spare two of the three humans that should have been there. Jeff and Nick had yet to show themselves, even though they were the ones that called for the meeting in the first place. Krystal sighed deeply in her seat as they waited, she'd come back to the ship after everything she'd just been through only to hear even more bad news most likely. It was consoling that she knew Fox was alive and well, but it was none to easy on her nerves…

"Can someone please tell me why it is we're fucking sitting around here when we need to find that freak that has Fox's body?" she suddenly asked.

Randy sighed. "We don't know anything that you don't…" he said. "Jeff called us all here and he's still not here…"

"He does this sometimes," Alex finished for him. "So does Nick. He wouldn't call a meeting like this if it weren't important though."

More time passed and finally Mika had enough waiting around. "That's it…I'm not sitting here any more," she said walking toward the door. "Someone can bring me up to speed later," she finished walking out the door.

Randy sighed following her example. "I think I'll go find a normal room to sleep in…that training room gets a little noisy around here," he said walking out of the place.

"Great…" Vixy sighed.

Alex chuckled. "Actually that's a good thing with him…" he said. "He trusts you guys to fill him in later. And if he's really going to look for a room, then that means he's getting comfortable around you all."

There was yet another long wait before Jeff finally reached the bridge with a tall, slender human in tow…

"Sorry I took so long, I had some tests to go over," Jeff said finding his way inside.

"Alright…we understand," Krystal said. "So what's this all about?"

"Yeah…" Creed replied. "I've got a lot of training to catch up on."

Jeff sighed with a slight smile. "Just recovering and already trying your luck," he said. "Well…I have some…well bad news."

"Why did I see that coming?" Krystal shouted rolling her eyes. "Let's hear it."

Nick stepped forward. "Alright, you know about our current team; Me, Jeff, Alex, and Randy right?" he said. "Well there were originally six of us. The last two were our friends Jay and Victor."

Lia through for a moment. "Wait…Victor is that guy that almost killed Randy on Sauria."

"Pretty much…" Nick nodded. "That son of a bitch turned on all of us and joined Omni. When he left he managed to disable Randy's Keizer…when he did Jay went after him in a normal fighter. Victor shot him down. When we found Jay he was more dead than alive really."

Jeff cleared his throat. "He was blind and half crippled by the crash," he said. "Our problem is that Jay was THE leading R&D mind mankind had ever seen. He came up with weapons and weapon systems that were generations ahead of their time. When man rejected weapons however, he started developing things like the Mods, which is what cured our large friend here…" he said looking to Creed. "Things have been brought to my attention that Jay may have been abducted by Omni somehow."

"And what was it that was brought to your attention?" Krystal asked.

Alex stepped in. "I'll field that one," he said raising his hand. "You remember that Keizer that nearly killed Creed? The one Randy split in two?"

"How could I forget?" Krystal asked.

"Well…" Alex replied. "That fucking thing was toting around an experimental tech that Jay was working on when we left third Earth…a formatted version of the halo that you're wearing," he said pointing to Krystal who ran her paw over the thing on her forehead. "With the technology in mind, a person could control a Keizer fully by thought alone. It's a process that Jay called Psychomagnetherics. I'd explain how the process works, but honestly I don't understand it myself, Jay was the only one that could have explained it properly."

Jeff stepped in. "He's getting away from the point though. An army, all wearing one of those modified Halo units, could have control of a walking tank at the exact same time as you having to deal with the individual's gunfire. Soldiers that have no need to be afraid of your assault, because they won't be putting themselves on the front line. Instead you'll be dealing with fully automated machines that have the thought process and logical thinking of a person."

"Is there a way to stop these things?" Krystal asked with a bit of worry in her voice.

Jeff looked to Nick with a sigh before Alex stepped forward. "That's the good news. Jay always builds his inventions with a failsafe, usually a hidden one that the user would never see. The problem is they were usually so well hidden that Jay would have to point them out. His way of thinking was a bit…"

"Fucked up," Jeff filled in causing the others to look at him. "What, I wasn't kidding. For a genius he's all fucked up. The point is however, we'd need someone unbelievably advanced in positronics to even begin to break these things down."

"That's not gonna be easy," Jane said looking to Creed then to the humans. "Positronics might be a normal bit of tech where you're all from, but we've only been working with that stuff for a few years now."

"That's just the point…" Jeff said. "We need to know if they have Jay, and if they don't we need to find the person responsible for this technology and have that person taken out. Unfortunately we have no idea where to look. We know nothing of their facilities at all…"

It didn't seem like anyone else did, but Krystal noticed that Randy had entered the room, and up until he'd heard that he was straight faced, and quickly left the bridge. Something told Krystal to follow him and she knew exactly what it was…he knew something, something he wasn't telling anyone. She surprised most everyone when she jumped from her seat and rushed out into the hall…

"Stop!" she shouted causing Randy to slow down. "I said STOP!"

This time he stopped laying a hand on the wall to make it easier on his sore ribs. "What do you want?"

"I'll ask the questions…" the vixen replied. "What are you hiding about Omni?" she demanded. "And don't try to tell me it's nothing, I've been around liars all my life and I know when someone's lying. So either tell me, or I swear to you right now that I will turn this halo off…and I will get that information if I have to take it by force…and don't give me your fuck'n bull shit! Cause I am not in the mood for your overbearing attitude," she pointed out. "If you know something that'll help, tell me." She sighed calming herself down. "Please…if not for me or the others then for the fact that your friend could be being held by them."

Randy sighed turning and looking out the porthole like window to his side. "Fine…but you aren't going to like it…and you can't tell Jeff or the others. They're the last people I want to hear it."

"Look whatever you did I'm sure it can't be that bad," Krystal said.

Randy ran his hand along the cold glass of the window. "I worked for them…" He sighed noting that she clearly missed his point. "Omni…I…I worked for them okay? That was over ten years ago…it's something I try to forget."

Krystal thought for a moment. "You…what did you do for them?"

The human sighed. "I…guess you'd call me a hitman. Started when I was thirteen, Omni hired me through private contract when I was fifteen…." he said shrugging his shoulders but still refusing to turn around to face her. "I never took a job directly from the CEO, like I said it was all through private contract. Through the jobs I learned that they've got roughly 23 facilities, minus the three that have been recently destroyed, so 20 working facilities…and that their HQ is located somewhere in the Solar System…well, according to your star charts the Terran System."

"Why didn't you just say anything before?" Krystal asked, noting that he really didn't want to tell her any of this.

"Why do you think I wouldn't want to say anything?" he replied. "I was an assassin…I killed for money and never cared who the target was. I've killed men, women, and children…for no obvious reason."

"You obviously learned your lesson though."

Randy sighed lowing his head before walking off. "Yeah…lesson learned," he said as he walked. She barely managed to catch the last bit of what he said. "Never raise a family in a house of knives."

*******

Krystal slowly walked through the halls. She wondered if there was something more she could do in looking for Fox, but she was certain that they were doing everything that they could. In the end all she could do was hope for the best. She realized just how lonesome it was without Fox there with her. The others were all there, and their presence helped, but none of them gave her the same comfort that he did. Thinking about it so hard made her seriously consider a drink, until she reached the door to the room she once shared with him. She tried her hardest to hide it, but a loose tear rolled down her cheek vanishing as her fur soaked it in, leaving behind a small streak of dark, wet fur. Even with Jeff's Halo device on, the memories were still there…on some level she sort of wished she was pregnant, the more she thought about it, the more she began to think that having a kit with the fox she loved seemed less and less scary. She wondered if the vibes she picked up from Jane were anything like what it really felt like to know there was a living creature growing inside of her. With a sigh, she opened the door to the room, only to jump back with a paw over her heart as the strange light chestnut furred vulpine from Papetoon seemed to be standing there. She quickly pushed him inside entering behind him…

"I told you to stay here," she half shouted.

"I am…I have not left the room."

Krystal breathed deeply. "I told you that I can't have them seeing you. Not yet. Not until I can sort all this out," she said walking to the side of the bed.

The vision of Fox followed studying her face. "You cry because you miss him, don't you?" he asked lightly touching the wet fur on her face. "I can never know sorrow, but I do feel strangely uncomfortable seeing you in this state."

Krystal wiped her face on the back of her arm. "Fox hated it when I cried. It made him cry, and Falco always teased him when he cried."

"I cannot understand why, but…" the vulpine said. "Seeing you like this makes me wish there was something that I could do to make you feel better, when all I can do is say that I know that Fox McCloud is alive and safe."

"How can you possibly know that?" Krystal asked.

"I am still here…"

Krystal sighed. "I guess you're right. Without Fox you couldn't possibly be here could you?"

The vulpine looked to her. "Is there anything at all I can do for you?"

Krystal rolled onto her side laying down. "Lay down with me…" she said.

Without hesitation the vulpine lay down beside her, causing the vixen to roll over nuzzling her face into his shoulder…

"What can this help?" he asked.

"I just really miss Fox," she replied. "I never had any trouble sleeping when he was with me. Without him being here I hardly find any time to sleep at all anymore," she said. "You may not be him completely, but you feel and even smell like him."

The vulpine simply watched as she fell asleep. He could clearly recall times he'd felt like this before, being a part of Fox McCloud. All he could do really was lay there. He couldn't sleep, hell he didn't even really need to breathe though it was still an impulse that he had no real control over. At the moment he was just happy to see that Krystal had fallen asleep…

*******

Randy found himself walking about the room he'd found. It was far down in the third deck of the ship, down where people rarely went. It was the maintenance deck, and the room he stayed in was clearly meant for a maintenance crew of some kind. It was much larger than the other rooms in the place, possibly even larger than the captain's quarters, which was most likely because several animals were meant to sleep there. He cleaned everything out of the room making a small space for a single bed, and loaded the place down with spare training equipment from the storage rooms. He sat on his bed and pressed his fingers against his ribs a bit, wincing at the touch. They were sore, and possibly bruised, but healing. As he sat there the door opened to his room…

"Hey…" Mika's voice said.

Randy sighed. "Is there a reason why you followed me down here?" he asked looking to the minx.

"Listen…" she said. "I'm sorry…about earlier. Not just for what I said in the sick bay either…" she said. "I really shouldn't have listened in on you when you were talking to Terya."

Randy sighed laying in his bed. "Forget it…I just want to be alone right now."

Mika sighed. "Did you ever feel bad for killing all those years ago?"

"What part of 'I want to be alone' didn't you understand?"

The minx exhaled angrily. "You know what?" she asked. "At first I thought you might just be misunderstood, I guess that's why I tried to get to know you…I know what it's like to be misunderstood…but I understand you just fine. You're just fuck'n pathetic."

Randy rolled over on his bed turning away from her. "Thanks for the input…now get out."

"You think you're the only person that's ever done something you regretted?" she asked, placing her paws on her hips. "Every person on this ship has regrets…no matter how often they say otherwise. Regret is just a part of life. If you haven't learned that by now you really don't know a fuck'n thing about life. You'd figure that someone who's taken so many would know a little about life."

"Taking a life is a lot easier than understanding life itself," Randy sighed pulling a thin sheet over his body. "It may be a bit hard for you to understand, but my mistake cost me the life of my family…can you honestly tell me that you completely understand life? If you can I'll gladly take any kind of advice you can give me."

Mika simply stood there…

"That's what I thought," the human said. "Just like every other do-good preacher that stands at a podium…just spouting out nonsense that you don't even believe yourself," he said. "Because you think it's what everyone wants to hear."

"How long is this going to go on before you realize people are just trying to help you?" she asked. "Not everyone is like the people from your childhood you know," she pointed out. "Not everyone is looking for place to stick a knife every time you turn your back to them."

"I don't want your help…" Randy replied.

Mika sighed. "I've heard that before. You know people that say that are often the ones that want help the most."

Randy looked the minx in the eyes. "Trust me when I say that I am not one of those people."

There was a short silence as they stood there staring at one another. "Has there ever been a day when you weren't so…"

"So what?" Randy asked.

"Miserable…" Mika finished.

Randy rolled back onto his side. "Once…a long time ago," the human replied. "I'm pretty sure it was a Sunday," he said. "I'm pretty tired, please go."

Mika hesitated. It seemed like he was just trying to get rid of her…

"Please go…" he repeated himself. "I'm not angry anymore, I'm just tired."

Though she didn't buy into his obvious lie, Mika sighed leaving the room. She didn't know what it was that had changed his attitude so much. Clearly having her hearing his story earlier had upset him. Or was it what she'd heard? Either way, she slowly walked out of the room and headed off. She wasn't sure what she'd do for the time being, but she was certain that at this point she needed to just leave him be…

*******

A few decks up a young silver furred vulpine stepped out of a shower toweling himself off, before a pink furred Lapin stepped out behind him wrapped in a towel of her own and wrapped her arms around his chest resting her head on his shoulder…

"I've never had a shower make me feel so dirty." She chuckled.

Silver thought for a moment. "What do you mean?"

Roxy laughed. "Good thing you're cute," she said kissing his cheek. However Silver looked strangely focused on something. "What's wrong?"

The silver vulpine sniffed the air. "Did you turn on the vents?"

Roxy headed toward the bed. "Uh hum," she hummed. "It was getting warm in here. Why?"

Silver slowly walked toward the AC vent across from the bed sniffing the air. "It's faint, but I smell perfume. It's not Krystal's…" he said sniffing again.

Silver eyed the vent again before walking toward the door to their room. He then slowly walked back toward the vent until he was directly under it. He stopped looking to Roxy and placing a finger over his lips. In an instant the silver fox swung the vent open reaching in and grasping at the darkness pulling back a fist of fine black fur…

"The hell is going on!?" Roxy shouted noticing Silver quickly putting on a pair of pants and climbing into the vent.

"There's someone in the vents!!"

*******

Krystal woke, surprisingly refreshed. She knew the animal that lay there next to her was not HER Fox…however, it felt like him…smelled like him, even that strange comfort that she could never really explain was there. The only thing really missing was her love. She slowly rolled to a sitting position on the edge of the bed…

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

Krystal sighed. "Yes…very well. Thank you."

"Of course…" the vulpine replied. "Anytime."

Krystal stood up. Even though she didn't really feel completely comfortable being only in her underwear at the moment, she shied away the thought that he might be watching her. After all he was a part of Fox. Something strange struck her mind as she pulled on a pair of tight, blue jeans…

"So. When Fox and I are…you know together…" she asked not quite putting her shirt on yet. "Is that the dark guy…or you?"

The animal placed a finger on his chin with a light huff. "Hmm…Tough call. I know what you look like under all of that…" he said pointing out her clothing. "In the end I suppose you could only say that it is Fox McCloud with you and nothing more. Since the three of us encompass a single whole."

Krystal felt something as she exhaled deeply, only to realize that her bra had broken. Again, not really minding, she removed the thing and sighed…

"Well that only lasted a few months…" she said turning and noticing that the fox still sitting in the bed was looking at her, not as much staring at her breasts as studying them.

"What's the matter? See something you like?" She chuckled.

"Since being on the outside like this…" he replied. "I've found a great fascination with the female form. I find interesting that something as simple as those…" he said pointing to her chest. "Can drive a male…and even some females out of their minds with lust…"

"Hey!" Krystal said. "According to Katt they aren't that simple. Fox seems to think they're big enough," she said lifting them in her paws for a moment.

The animal chuckled. "No…I do not mean any insult. By simple I am only referring to their god given function, to nurture your young," he replied.

"I like to think they have more function than that," Krystal said looking through the closet for a new bra. "They make pretty handy weapons too."

"Weapons?" the male asked.

Krystal chuckled as she clasped on a white lace bra. "Well…yeah. If a girl knows how to use them right, a guy will pay enough attention to them to ignore the gun in your paw."

He didn't seem to like her answer very much. "Oh…I see," he said. "I often wonder, with all the death, violence, rape, and drugs in the galaxy, how it is Fox manages to keep himself sane. I suppose that since I do not know he often turns to his darker side…I suppose that…thing, could handle it in a more direct manner than I could. After all, I have the longing to help, and keep the one's I care fore safe…yet, unlike that creature, I do not seem to possess the capacity for killing."

Krystal sighed. "Yes…that is true. Fox does kill…and according to you, on some level he may enjoy it…but, I think he also fears it. I know him well enough to know that he doesn't want to spend his entire life killing."

Suddenly the vent cover across the room shot from its spot, allowing a young looking, red furred vixen to fall to her feet, with a large pistol aimed at the male's head. However, as she fired her body was struck by a silver ball of fur that fell from the vent causing her bullet to strike the wall. Silver seemed out of breath when he stood up only to see the animal that sat in Fox's bed…

"Fox??"


	14. Chapter 14

**Author Notes:**_ Sorry this took so damn long people, i've been having a pretty rough spout of the writer's block and it's taken a toll. Anyhow there aren't many chapters left for this one, if there's a particular fic you'd like to seen summed up after this i'm open to suggestions i've got quite a few i need to finish in the long run. Anyhow, enjoy the chapter, and I'll return......hopefully shortly......with the next chapter..._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox

* * *

  
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**Chapter 14…**

It had taken Krystal hours to explain to the crew who the animal with her was. Luckily Vixy had decided to help her, as did the animal that she had at some point decided to call Fox, to keep from calling him "you" all the time. She figured it was a good idea to allow him to roam about the ship too. After all she was certain that there was nothing particularly deadly about him. It had been several days since she'd told everyone the truth, and though they seemed to accept it quickly enough, something else bothered them all…

"Then who the hell is this?" Creed asked looking to Jade, who'd been cuffed and now sat in a nearby chair.

Krystal looked to the vixen taking a seat before her and stared her in the eyes. "Well?" she asked, "You've only got two options, tell us or I go into your mind and get the information myself," she said, "You came after Fox. If that's the case you must know who I am."

The bright red-furred vixen sighed, "I know who you are…Kursed," she replied, "There was a point when I actually looked up to you."

"Why were you trying to kill Fox?" Krystal asked.

"What the hell do you care?" Jade snapped, "If you're with him then you don't give a shit how many innocent people he kills, do you?"

The brunt of what Jade had clearly been through was instantly clear to Krystal. The thing that had taken over Fox's body, had obviously done something to her. As this fact worked through Krystal's mind, she sighed…

"Vixy…Fox…you two stay here," she said turning to the group, "Everyone else leave. I think she needs to hear the truth too."

Krystal watched as the crew left the room…afterward she turned back to the restrained vixen in her seat…

"Vixy…" she said, "Let her go. I want her to realize that we don't want to hurt her."

As soon as her cuffs were off the vixen began to bolt upright after Fox only to have Krystal step in her way…

"I will tell you what happened…" she said, "But, this is not the animal that attacked you."

A light paw touched the blue-furred vixen's arm pushing her to the side. "No…" Fox said, "I…remember you. Vaguely. You were there, when he came out," he said, "He took everything from you. I remember hearing her screaming your name…"

By now Jade's eyes were filled with tears. "Her name was Eva you son of a bitch."

The image of Fox took a leery step before sitting down. "I tried to stop him…but, he was too strong," he said reaching to Krystal's blaster and pushing it across the table, "You can shoot me if it will console you. Not that it will do you any good."

In an instant, the vixen whipped the blaster up aiming it at his face…the blue phase of light plowed through the animal's skull. However, as she feared, the side of the vulpine's face fragmented into what appeared to be some sort of light smoke that seemed to slowly rematerialize the animal's face…

"I'd gladly give you my life if I could," he said, "It would be little consolation for what we've done."

Krystal sighed. "Look, there's a lot more to this situation that you don't understand," she said, "So here's the deal. You tell me why it is you want him dead, and I'll tell you why this isn't the animal you're looking for."

Though mostly out of morbid curiosity for the vixen's explanation, Jade took her eyes off of Fox and looked Krystal in the eyes, and slowly began to tell her how the animal had ruined her entire life…

*******

**Corneria City…**

**Compound 41, military storage facility…**

*******

The building was always heavily guarded, even now with civil unrest caused by the invading Omni troops that layered the streets. The particular facility, was the resting place for the sword that Krystal had left under Vanity's protection. Every door was triple coded, meaning a registered palm, voice, and 16-digit key were all needed to get inside. The two guards that stood by the door lay on the ground, smoke rising from their bodies as a small arch of electricity skipped from one body to the next traveling across their gear in a serpentine fashion. Standing by the lock now were two animals; one a rather tall, black furred vulpine. It was odd enough to find an animal like him, as foxes weren't exactly known to come in dark colors like his. Next to him stood a young dark reddish-brown furred otter…

The otter sighed looking at the lock. "Hmmm…" he mused, "What'cha think Drayvn?"

The dark-furred vulpine sighed looking over the system, "Your call Maxx," he replied in a low raspy voice, "I can blow the door, if you can take out security."

Maxx chuckled as a stream of electricity moved up his defined arm, before crackling back down, pulsating from his gloved fist up to his shoulder. He opened his paw placing his palm on the palm pad. The surge of electricity shot from his arm, and the area was instantly filled with the smell of burning wire and scorched computer chips. After receiving a nod from Maxx, Drayvn's arms both burst into flames causing the sleeves of his long black coat to disintegrate under the flames' intense heat. The blast that shot from his fist as he struck the door caused Maxx to cover his eyes turning his head away. The door instantly burst from its place, several large shards of the blast door flipping into the large room. He had to admit that having someone like Maxx with him in such a technological age was handy. He didn't know how to explain how the young otter could generate electricity from his body, but he hardly cared being able to generate fire from his own. It was comforting enough just knowing he wasn't the only freak in the universe…

The two walked into he warehouse where the military stored things that could be considered harmful to a planet, or just outright dangerous to anyone near it. As they looked around though, something caught Drayvn's eye bringing him to stand before a large sword behind a thick glass case…

"Maxx…" he called his partner over, "How much you think this one's worth?"

The otter marveled at the large weapon as Drayvn rested his paw on the glass causing it to slowly shift to a red-hot glow as it melted away from the stand. "Damn thing looks ancient."

"Yeah…" Drayvn smiled holding the sword. "Bet it's worth a fortune too. They only store weapons in this hangar…weapons and unknown tech," he said, "This should feed us for a while. Lets get the fuck outta here before those guards come too."

As the two exited the warehouse, little did they know there was a stalker in the shadows. An unseen animal watched them as it drew a small communicator up to its face…

"This is X," it said, "The target is in motion. Someone beat me to the sword."

"Let me make this perfectly clear…" a familiar voice came back, "I want that blade. I don't care how you get it, just get it."

The stalking animal sighed as it watched Drayvn and Maxx disappear from sight. "The two that have it are very odd, one makes fire from his body, the other can apparently create an electrocuting charge from his," he said, "They are unique."

There was a pause. "A Pyrokinetic you say?" the voice on the other end of the line replied, "Hmmm…get the blade, but do not kill them X…they may be of use to me. Get all the information on these two that you can."

"Yes sir," the stalker replied, "X out."

With that the creature vanished into the shadows, stalking the two friends as closely as possible without being spotted…

*******

**The Nemesis…**

*******

Jade sat there in stunned shock. None of what Krystal said made any sense, and yet now that she bothered to do so, when she looked into the chestnut-furred vulpine's eyes, she could instantly tell that it was not the same animal that had taken Eva and John from her…

"This…can't be true," the vixen said shaking her head, "No. Thing's like this just don't happen. You're telling me that at any point there is a thing like that in every person alive?"

Fox nodded. "Yes. Even if you deny it, that will not make it any less true," he said, "That thing that attacked your friends, was in a sense pure evil. Every bit of darkness that has ever existed within Fox McCloud, now exists within that creature. I have seen how it is you all perceive true evil, but in truth the only true evil that exists in the universe, exists within the hearts and souls of all living things."

Jade thought for a moment. "You're lying…I watched what happened. I was there."

"You were there…" Fox said, "But, Fox McCloud was not," he said, "I can see the conflict in your eyes; you know that I speak the truth, and yet you refuse to believe it. Loss can blind us to the truth. Right now your anger is blinding your judgment," he said, "So answer me this…what would you have done…had I attacked you in your condition?"

The crimson-furred vixen gasped. She'd been so caught up in everything that she'd completely neglected the fact that she was pregnant. Her child's safety had never even crossed her mind, until now. She held her paws over her mouth, trying to physically hold back the sobs that came with realizing what she could have done. Krystal thought for a moment as the vixen sat there silently crying to herself…

"What's going on?"

Fox looked to the blue-furred vixen. "Surely you can see it," he said looking to the crying vixen, "Her eyes, they carry a certain spark. Can you not feel the life radiating from her?"

Krystal thought for a moment as she looked the vixen over, and watched her paw lay on her stomach. It was all brought to her, clearly and painfully so. This vixen was pregnant. She'd been so caught up in revenge that she hadn't even paid any attention to the fact that her actions could have cost her the life of her own unborn child…

Krystal lay a paw on the vixen's shoulder, "Listen…" she said turning to Fox, "Why don't you look around the ship or something? She's gonna need some time alone. She needs to sort this all out, and if you can find her please send Vixy in here for me."

Krystal wasn't sure what she could do for this stranger. She'd only just met her, but in some small way she felt responsible for what happened to her. Her lover, her sister, and her best friend were all taken from her by Fox's evil side…how could she possibly make her think that it would all be alright? Especially knowing that she'd been putting an unborn kit's life in danger in the name of revenge. She didn't know, but she could only hope that somehow, Vixy would know the answers…

*******

**Not Too Far Away…**

*******

On a small moon rounding the massive planet of Titania, a couple of young echidnas walked along a beach until something caught their eyes. Something was burning in the small moon's atmosphere. They awed and gawked at the burning ball of fire as it sped toward the soil growing ever larger as it fell. A roaring boom sounded causing the ground under their feet to shake violently, the female of the two strongly holding onto her male friend to keep from falling. The two, mainly out of curiosity, slowly made their way toward the object that had impacted the ground no more than a few hundred yards from their location. As they noticed that it was an escape pod of some kind, the young male of the two rushed over to a fallen vulpine…

"David, be careful," his female companion called.

The young echidna turned back to her, "Come on this guy could really be hurt," he replied kneeling beside the fallen fox.

Suddenly the vulpine began to shift and slowly sat up. David attempted to help him, but quickly let out a howling scream of pain that caused his friend to cover her ears. She watched as David fell to the ground, his fresh blood dripping from the vulpine's right paw. Without delay the young female's instincts took over, and she quickly turned rushing off toward the city. There was a thin patch of wooded area between the beach and the city, but she knew her way well enough. The branches swiped at her face gouging small cuts into her muzzle and cheeks, but she kept running until her foot caught something causing her to fall to the ground. She quickly looked behind her in fear, only to see that the animal was no longer behind her. She slowly stood up, and began to quietly back step away, until she decided she'd run again. However, something heavy struck her causing her to fall down again. She panicked at the first sight of the blood that covered her white shirt, only to realize that it wasn't her own. As her eyes fixated on the object she'd run into her paws instantly covered her mouth to keep her from screaming as the tears rolled down her face. David's lifeless body lightly swayed from a tree branch, the rope around his neck being pulled from a hole punched in his abdomen. Withholding her need to scream, and vomit, the young Echidna slowly stepped her way around the body. However as she turned to run, the same vulpine from the crash stood before her. Her shock causing her to stumble back into David's body falling to the ground again, the fox slowly approached her with a sick smile on his face. Her last scream, shrill and full of pain, fell only upon the ears of the nearby birds, which flew frightened from their perches among the trees…

*******

**The Nemesis…**

*******

Randy sat in his room. He sighed as he looked to the training equipment that lay around the room. His ribs were still banged up pretty badly. Though it confused them as to why, he refused to let Krystal heal his injuries beyond what Terya had. He didn't sweat it though, he'd always been a quick healer. He wasn't certain what was going to happen now. He'd spilled his guts to Krystal. He felt she as a captain had a need to know that he'd worked for Omni before. However, that wasn't the most of why he felt so bad…he had taken out his frustration on Mika. She'd heard him talking to Terya, but he knew she meant nothing by it. After all if anyone knew about being in the right place at the wrong time it was he. His entire life had been nothing but a massive test of trial and error. He rolled over and sat up, though to his ribs' great disapproval. It was discerning to him that he was all but healed, spare for his severely bruised ribs. He stood up slowly, making his way to a metal footlocker and going through its contents. What he retrieved was a small dagger, shaped much like his sword was. It was hidden behind a navy blue scabbard, with a long tassel hanging from its pommel, its handle wrapped in dark blue cording. Holding the small weapon brought back memories, some of which bothered him deeply…

He hadn't realized how late at night it was when he tucked it into the waist of his pants and walked out into the halls. He wondered to himself why it was that being so cross with the minx bothered him the way it did, but there was something that told him to go and apologize. Worst case being, that apology wasn't something he practiced on a regular schedule. He slowly worked his way through the halls, stopping after getting off the lift, to hold his hand over his ribs for a moment with a hiss of pain, before he stood up and headed out. His trail led him to the pale minx's room, only to find that she wasn't there. He sighed…

"MIA…" he said, "Where is Mika?" He chuckled to himself. "Damn, subtract the 'K' you get Mia, add one get Mika…creepy."

There was a light beep. "Miss Mika is currently located in the ship's docking bay."

The human sighed before slowly walking off in the direction of the docking bay…he wasn't sure what it was he was going to say, but as he walked into the docking bay he noticed there was a white tail swaying back and forth under an Arwing. Randy maintained his silence as he could hear something echoing from beneath the craft. She was singing, very lightly, almost making it impossible for him to hear it. However, he found himself listening quietly to the tune she carried, before the rolling board she lay on slid back from beneath the ship. Mika paused as she sat up. He'd gotten so angry at her for listening in on him, and here he was doing the same to her. Randy slowly looked toward the small row of Keizers that stood dormant at the other end of the docking bay.

"You…have a gift…" he said, "Viv loved to sing."

"Who?" Mika asked.

"Vivian…" he replied, "My…well…she was gonna be."

Mika froze. "Oh…the one Victor…?"

"Yeah…" he replied, "Listen…I…" he seemed to hesitate, "I was hard on you before. I really shouldn't have taken anything out on you just because I was feeling like shit."

Mika sighed. "Hey we all have the prerogative to be a bitch every once in a while," she replied, "I probably deserved it after what I said in the Sick Bay," she said, "The Cerinians wanted to thank you before Krystal sent them to a safe place."

Randy chuckled. "Nah, I'm no good with good byes."

"Ah…" she replied.

Randy suddenly tossed her the small dagger. "Here…" he said, "I was never very good at apologies. It's a short sword…sort of like that big one I carry around…it's called a Kodachi."

Mika chuckled as she pulled the slightly long weapon from its scabbard. "Ah I see…Odachi, Kodachi…they go together."

Randy chuckled. "Yeah…sort of," he said, "What's with the ship? Didn't have you pegged for a gear head like Alex."

Mika set the weapon aside for the moment. "I'm not…I know the basics though. What goes where, refueling, system analysis…I can keep the ship from going out on me, that's about it. Jacob was our maintenance guy…but, that's something I'd rather not talk about."

Randy slowly walked toward the small ship. "Hmmm…you a good pilot?" he asked.

"I like to think my skills are a shot above average," the minx explained, "So what do you expect me to do with that blade you gave me?"

"Your call…" Randy replied. "It's your sword," he said, "But, I do owe you an apology so…if you want I can teach you."

"Hmm…" Mika mused, "I'll think about it," she said sliding the knife into her beltline.

Randy sighed. "Look…" he said, "I…" The human hesitated for a moment. "Forget it, I think I've caused you enough trouble," he said starting toward the door.

"No, no, no…" Mika said rushing over and grabbing him by the arm, "I'll be the one to say when I've had enough trouble. You're about to do something stupid aren't you?"

Randy sighed. "Did Krystal tell you yet?"

"You mean the thing with your old employer?"

Randy sighed. "I'll take that as a yes," he said sliding his fingertips across the metal surface of the fighter's wing, "I left some things out," he said, "I have been to several of Omni's complexes, and I have a few connections on the inside, people I'd rather not see get hurt. I got a hold of one of these people. She thinks Jay is being held in a place they called Compound Kappa," he said, "It's apparently located on this small planet in Stygian, on the surface of a lake."

Mika's eyes widened. "You were going to go there alone weren't you? In that condition?"

"I'm a fast healer," he replied, "But…I was sent something. It's an ID tag to a new person on Omni's payroll, a mechanic. Only problem is, it's a female Lylatian that they're expecting."

"Wait a minute…" she said, "Are you asking me to help you?" she asked, "Jeff said you never ask for help."

"I don't…" he replied, "I'm asking that you help us. Jay is the only person that can possibly shut down those Halos they're using to control the Keizers. You all have enough problems with that Fox guy run'n around killing people all over the place. I can't let Krystal try handling all of this at once or someone's gonna end up dead."

Mika sighed. "Fine…count me in…when do we leave?"

"Tomorrow…" Randy replied, "Alex is going to teach you everything he knows about the primary type of ship they'll expect you to know about. How good's your memory?"

Mika smiled. "Pretty fucking good actually…better than most people my age anyhow."

Randy scoffed, "Good…" he said, "Alex is usually hanging around here someplace. Just tell him you're on board and he'll know what you're talking about."

"You know this is insane right?" Mika asked, "What makes you think your informant isn't really working for Omni?"

Randy chuckled. "Who said she didn't?" he asked, "I never work for anyone I don't have an inside look on. Omni was no exception. Miranda has been working there for years. I had to let her think I was dead when I disappeared, but when Victor killed my family I really did need to disappear. Miranda is the one that helped me do so," he said, "If I can't trust her…I can't trust anyone."

The minx sighed as he walked away. "What if Krystal comes after us?"

Randy just kept walking. "Trust me, she won't," he said, "She's too concerned about Fox to bother with Omni right now. She may say otherwise, but once she hears something about him, she'll drop everything to get to him."

"How do you know that?" Mika asked.

"I've been living it for over five years…"

Mika wasn't sure if what she was doing was right. There was something that told her this was going to end badly, but she was certain that she could handle it. Randy had proven that he could sneak around better than just about anyone she'd ever seen before. She was sure now that he'd never intend to leave her behind. She knew that he'd get in and out long before she would ever get caught…

*******

_Fox sat by. He'd done nothing but think and ponder, not only what was going to happen to his friends and himself, but he found himself…oddly enough, also contemplating his existence, along with that of every animal in the Lylat system, the system itself, even this horribly strange place he sat in now. The burning flame that danced in the center of this nothingness was his only sense of something other than himself. Adreus seemed to come and go like an evening breeze, fading in and out of existence. She had told him that he needed to think about everything to understand the truth. He needed to contemplate on his friends and mainly on himself. As he sat there waving his paw back and forth through the flame, he wondered why it was that he could openly touch it, and this dark entity that was born from his body could not. Maybe there was something more to all of this that he was overlooking, something more than Adreus could tell him, something he'd have to discover on his own. With a deep breath the vulpine closed his eyes and slowly allowed himself to fade into a state of pure conscious thought. He plowed through his memories one at a time, slowly picking them apart to determine what may or may not have been important about each experience. There had to be a reason Adreus had told him to search himself before others…_

_It was as he did this that one particular memory stood out the most. He could see the entire scene frozen before him. He looked to his own body, frozen in time, pinned to the wall like some sort of sick tapestry. The sword driven through his body belonging to the blue-furred vulpine that stood there staring at him. Fox moved around the area a bit, he could see Creed in the distance grappling with the large Argonian, Sydney, while Krystal stood by watching what was happening…she had already been hit and was laying on the metal ground watching the events unfold. Suddenly, the large ship behind him crumbled, like it was being stepped on by something many times larger than any Red Eye. It was as this happened that he noticed, at that very moment the eyes of the frozen image of himself against the wall were now open. He could now see what the others saw in his eyes. There was no white, no green, they were a familiar blue color. At least it felt familiar, he had no idea where, but he was certain he'd had this feeling before. He suddenly recalled that his last actual memory of the event was exactly the moment before the point in time this scene was now perpetually frozen in…_

_Suddenly a familiar voice caused the vulpine to jump, "For those of us who can find contact with the Light inside of us…" He turned to see that Adreus was somehow there in his mind with him. "They find themselves capable of grand things."_

"_Wait…" Fox said, "This is my mind. How the hell did you get in here?"_

_Adreus chuckled. "You will find that my power over the mind is much different than your mate's. I promise not to wander or roam about while visiting."_

_Fox sighed as he turned away and walked toward the vision of himself that was still held to the wall. "I kind of remember this. Are you saying, that I really did destroy Beta Complex?"_

"_Yes," Adreus replied, "Though at the time you were not fully aware of your actions. Your need to defend that vixen…" she said looking to Krystal, "outweighed everything. Your undying love for her, combined with your brush with death brought on by this one…" she said looking to Syler, "seemed to be enough to push you far closer to the Light inside yourself than any other living creature has ever gotten before you."_

_Fox thought about the vixen's words as he looked onto himself, and his burning blue eyes. "When I was hanging there…" he said, "I…I felt this strange cold, and all I saw after that was this bright light. It wasn't like near death experiences that I've had before, when I was surrounded by nothing but darkness. Adreus, was that light…"_

_Adreus smiled. "Yes. That was your Spark of Life, quite possibly at that moment burning much brighter and stronger than ever before," she said, "The Spark is the essence of what all creatures draw life and energy from. If you could learn to find that light inside of yourself, and harness it, you could tap into an energy source many times more powerful then what you did here…"_

_As she said this the scene suddenly shifted as Fox's mind wandered. This was not the only time he'd felt this way. He and Adreus now found themselves standing on Fichina, where Voss had died defending Fox. The moment frozen in time held Fox, leaning over the young vulpine as Arlex looked on…_

"_It happened here too…" he said, "But this time was different. It wasn't like before. I wasn't trying to protect someone, I wanted Arlex to suffer, to die for what he'd done. I couldn't stand the thought of telling Krystal about her brother," he said, "Adreus, why was this time so different? Creed said it looked like the atmosphere of he planet was trying to tear itself apart."_

_As Fox said this he looked to the sky. Frozen in time was a swirl of black clouds that rained lighting like raindrops. It looked to him like a vortex straight out of hell…_

"_This is what happens when two opposing forces of nature collide…" Adreus replied, "This is why we must not allow The Light, and The Darkness to meet. Their collision will cause nature itself to go into a convulsive fit. Waters will rise, land will die, skies will rain down vengeance, nature will slowly tear itself asunder. At the time this happened, you should simply be happy that the Darkness was interested in you as a host at the time. Had it selected anyone else, none of this would ever have happened."_

"_What are you talking about?" Fox asked._

_Adreus lay her paw on Arlex's shoulder, where he stood frozen in the time of Fox's mind. "Arlex was taken over by the Darkness within himself with the help of the shard…" she said, "You however, you have touched the Light," she said stepping toward him and holding his paws in hers looking at his palms, "These paws, have held the Light. You have touched something that no other living being in the entire history of existence has touched. The very force of life itself. Your actions from the day you were old enough to think for yourself, were never of yourself, rather, your thoughts have always been of others. Your self-sacrificing nature is what brought you to the pivotal happening…"_

_Fox thought for a moment. "Pivotal in what?"_

"_Existence…" Adreus replied fading into thin air, "You must find a way. Find that place within yourself, the place where your true self lies. That place that you have gone to before. But remember, that in the possession of animals like the one you see here…" her voice said drawing Fox's eyes to the twisted expression of pure hatred on his frozen form's face, "There can be dire consequences."_

_Fox thought deeply as he looked to that expression that was on his face when this happened. He couldn't recognize himself at all, the animal he saw here was ravenous, bloodthirsty, and vicious. It wasn't him at all. He thought for a moment on what Adreus had said. Perhaps the fact was that, unlike the fist time he'd found this strength, here in his fight with Arlex, he had no love in his heart, only a bitter, twisted rage that drove him on. It was as he thought about this that he slowly opened his eyes and was back, staring at the eternally burning flames that spread life to the creatures of the universe, and the small embers that floated off away from it. He couldn't help but wonder which ones that returned were people he knew, if one of them might be Krystal, or a member of his crew returning home. He prayed that none of them would come to see him anytime soon, and that soon enough he would find himself home, in Krystal's arms, where he belonged…_

*******

**The Nemesis…**

*******

Silver wandered about the ship's halls. He was amazed that after so long of being in a relationship with Roxy, it made him very uneasy being anywhere without her. Even right now, when he knew where she was. He found it odd, but at the same time strangely comforting. He stopped, to look out a small port window into the dead of space. The sight of the stars that littered the scene often made him think about everything that had led him to this point in his life. He knew he could never actually be a normal animal like the others, there was hardly anything normal about him at all. The silver-furred vulpine's mind slowly fell off track however, eventually spanning off to the animal he'd fought aboard the Omni ship on Titania. She was in every way the very same as him, even her blood. He sighed as he thought about it. He was going to kill her, but, something stopped him. Her eyes were purely innocent, it was as if she had no bearing to what she was doing at all. Was there a way of changing her? A way of waking her up from Omni's hold? Or was she being held at all?

*******

**Undisclosed Location…**

*******

The platinum-furred vixen sat in a metal chair. It was uncomfortable and cold, with wires and hoses hooked to her body. A small panel that hung from the side of the chair's headrest gave a nearby scientist, a young brown furred ape, a scope on the extent of her injuries after her fight with Silver. It was as he checked over her progression that a deep voice came through the PA system…

"How are things looking doctor?" the voice asked.

The ape sighed. "Well, sir," he replied, "Her vitals are clear and healthy…she seems to have suffered a mild concussion. Number 13 was our only perfect success, sir. She is the closest we have had to a second success, and that was only by using what DNA we were able to acquire from 13 himself. He nearly fractured her skull with a single kick, and that was done with her helmet still on. Had she not been wearing it at the moment, the strike would have clearly killed her."

"Then why hasn't she recovered yet?" the boss growled over the PA speakers.

The doctor cringed a bit. "W-well…sir, there is no definitive reason she should not be fully functional, and ready to be sent out."

"Is she awake?"

The doctor sighed looking into the vixen's eyes as she blinked. "Yes. She is…she is simply non-responsive. Almost as if she were in a trance, or deep thought…"

"But…don't you regulate her thoughts doctor?"

The ape sighed as he turned away from her. "Yes sir. However, it seems that either she is blocking out our regulators, or it is possible that 13's assault on her damaged some of her implants."

"Doctor?" A light voice suddenly caught his attention.

The ape looked to the vixen. "Sir…may I report my findings to you once I finish here?"

The voice over the PA sighed. "Very well…I need to check in on X anyhow. Just make it quick."

There was a slight sound telling the doctor that the PA was being turned off. "Eve?" he said, "Are you well?"

The vixen seemed to stay perfectly still. "Doctor…who was that animal that I was ordered to kill?"

"A failed experiment…" the doctor replied, "He was trying to destroy the company."

"Why?" Eve asked.

The doctor was stunned, the specimen was never meant to be curious. "I do not know," he said, "Why do you ask?"

Eve looked down at the floor. "His eyes…were familiar."

"My dear, the eyes of an animal can tell you nothing," he replied, "Do you feel adequate to move about on your own?"

"Yes doctor," Eve replied.

The ape removed the equipment from her body. "Then allow me to get your clothing. I am afraid you would distract a great deal of men were you to walk about the ship wearing only your fur."

"Yes doctor."

As the ape left the room the young vixen looked into a nearby mirror that hung on the wall of the almost empty room. Something was familiar about his eyes. She saw them every time she looked into a mirror, even though she saw them very rarely. She remembered something from her fight on the ship, the feeling of a small drop of water landing on her cheek. Her paw slowly went to her cheek. Why would he cry? What would make her enemy spare her life when she'd tried to kill him? And why did the doctor seem so frightened when she started asking questions? She looked to her body. Her fur was not much different than his, though as she cupped her paws over her breasts she realized that there were subtle differences between the fox she'd fought, and herself. This was the only time she'd ever bothered to notice the rather large swells on her chest. As the doctor wandered through the door he noticed she was examining herself…

"Something the matter Eve?"

Eve pressed her breasts together. "Doctor…I have never noticed before. What are these? Why do you not have them?"

The ape looked at her curiously, but he answered nonetheless, "Eve those are called breasts…and you have them because you are a female. Which I am of course, not."

She cocked her head lightly. "Breasts? What purpose do they serve?"

Again the doctor was partially speechless. "Well…most commonly they are used by a mother to nourish her young," he said handing the vixen her clothing, "Eve…why do suddenly find such odd things to ask questions about?"

Eve slowly began to put on her clothing. "I…do not know," she responded, "I simply felt that I would like to know what they were."

The ape looked away from the vixen for a moment. "Curiosity?" he whispered to himself, "Complex thoughts? Something is very wrong here," he said to himself, "Eve…did something happen to you when you fought 13?"

Eve thought for a moment. "He cried…doctor why did he not kill me?"

The doctor slowly stepped away from her. "I do not know, Eve. Why don't you get some rest for a bit? Can you make it to the lab?"

Eve stepped out of the chair. "Yes doctor," she replied heading out of the room.

The ape simply stood there in shock. She was never meant to do this, her systems were programmed differently that Silver's. The small computer in her brain used to regulate her thoughts was a simpler model, her only ability should have been to take orders and carry out commands…not formulate inquiries and complex thoughts. For some reason though she had begun to question her body, her sex; thoughts that were not unlike those of a young child. Suddenly the CEO's voice echoed into the room…

"Alright doctor…" the PA shouted at him, "What did you find?"

The doctor paused. Could he really tell the CEO the truth? Knowing what it was he would order be done to Eve?

"Well, sir," he replied, "She is still suffering some sort term damages, but she is up and about now. I sent her to the lab for a full systems check up."

"Excellent…" the voice shouted, "The first good news I've heard all day. Speaking of which I am sending you files on two very special people; Drayvn Dark, and Maximus Ureth. They could both make excellent specimens for the Psionics study your department is undergoing."

The doctor sighed. "Yes sir. That sounds wonderful…I would like to do more studies on Psionics outside of the Cerinian genome."

"Why is that?" the CEO asked.

"Well, sir. From what I have determined through my studies, the Cerinians are naturally predisposed to developing these abilities, it is written on their DNA. If we ever hope to recreate these abilities we need specimen outside of the Cerinian race as well, to deter the differences in their genetic structures."

There was a sigh. "Well keep I-36 on the ready," the CEO said, "X will bring in the two specimens as soon as he can."

"Yes sir. Thanks you sir."

As the voice faded the doctor left the room, he needed to get to Eve right away. He had no idea what had happened to her, but this would give him a chance to find out what it was that had gone wrong with 13 in the first place…

*******

**The Nemesis…**

*******

Krystal headed to the bridge to receive an emergency transmission. As soon as she set foot on the bridge she found that only Creed, Jane, and Jeff were there, all watching a hologram of a familiar black-furred feline…

"Hello General…" Krystal greeted her as she took her seat.

"Hello everyone," she replied with a smile, "I'll make this short. I need you to check out a disturbance we've gotten wind of on a small, colonized moon orbiting Titania called Kaleet. Apparently about six hours ago we got report that one of their cities was under attack…the signal was interrupted and so far we cannot get a signal back through."

Krystal sighed. "Omni then," she said matter-of-factly, "Rose I need you to keep an ear out for anything that sounds like Fox, while we're down there," she said, "How is Beltino by the way?"

Rose sighed. "Stubborn. He refuses to have his arm replaced with cybernetics. You'd figure someone so obsessed with science would be in a bit more of a hurry to get his arm back because of it."

"Now why are you sending us instead of a scouting team?" Krystal asked.

"I did…" Rose replied, "They never reported back. I called you as soon as I couldn't contact them."

Krystal sighed. "Alright…we're on our way then."

*******

As Eve walked along the rooms, she picked up on things -- things she'd never noticed. It was as if she'd always been walking around with a shade pulled over her eyes. Everything seemed so new to her, and wherever she went on the base she found something new and interesting to examine. She wondered about things that she'd never noticed before, and wondered why she didn't realize before that the world around her was full of such wonderfully interesting things. People of all sorts roamed about the base. She spent a short while watching people whenever she'd see them whether in numbers or alone. She studied the way they moved, spoke, gestured, interacted…however, she wondered as she saw a young female squirrel smiling. She pondered the act for a moment, before finishing her trip to the lab. It was a solitude place, a few decks down from where she was…as she stood in the elevator a short time ago, she was half tempted to see where the other buttons would take her, but instead decided that it was best to listen to the Doctor's words and wait for him there. Her area of the lab was located behind a thick glass door. It wasn't long before the doctor entered the lab carrying a small clipboard…

The ape set down his clipboard and called Eve to sit down in a large metal chair, "Now…how are you feeling Eve?"

"I am…" She paused.

"What, do you not know how to respond?"

Eve looked to the doctor. "No…how should I feel?"

"Well do you feel unusual at all?"

Eve thought again for a moment. "My head hurts."

The doctor chuckled. "Of course it does…a concussion isn't something to laugh at dear."

As the doctor went about checking her over for a cause of her abnormal behavior, Eve looked to the doctor. "Doctor? In the halls…I saw an officer doing this…" she said smiling, "What does it mean?"

The ape looked at Eve and when he saw her bright smile fade back into her normal expressionless face he felt his heart sink, was what he'd done to this animal right? Just because she had no legitimate parents, did that give him the right to use her the way he had? He shook his head for a moment…

"That's called a smile, Eve," he replied, "People do that when they're happy."

Eve cocked her head to one side. "Happy?"

"Well yes," the doctor replied, "Um…it's…hmm. Emotions are very difficult to explain. There is a broad scope of things that can and cannot make you happy. Most people are happy just being accepted by others…for some it takes a bit more than that."

Eve looked to one side. "I do not understand."

"Well we made certain that you'd never have to deal with these emotions."

Eve sighed. "But I want feel them…" she said, "It makes my chest hurt when I think about it."

The doctor turned away from her for a moment. What she was explaining to him was sorrow, and if she was beginning to feel it, nothing was really to stop her from feeling anything else. He was convinced that something had happened during her fight with Silver…but, it made no sense, all of her systems checked out fine. Had she simply managed to overpower the chip that inhibited her mind?

"Eve…" the ape suddenly said, "There's something I'd like to show you, but, it will have to wait till morning, understand?"

The vixen simply nodded…

"Good…" the doctor replied rubbing her head, "Then you should get some rest…"

It had been the same since the day she was produced; the doctor was given full access to her and was completely responsible for her as well as her progress. He would remain in the room until he was certain she was asleep, and afterward would refer to his journal to document Eve's strange development…

*******

Mika went over everything she needed to know. Alex was happy to teach her about the Keizers, they were his ambition, and he wanted to know everything humanly possible about the machines inside and out…and he was amazed at how well the young minx managed to memorize the different things she'd be required to do as a mechanic when she got to the complex. As Alex brought one of his dizzyingly detailed descriptions to an end, Mika glanced over toward where Randy had seated himself near the other end of the room. He was simply sitting there in a slouch, staring at something held between his thumb and forefinger. She tapped Alex's shoulder…

"Hey…what's he doing?" she asked tilting her head toward Randy, "He's been like that for over an hour."

Alex looked to the lonesome human and went back to work. "That's the only photo he has of her," he said, "I saw it once…so worn out and faded, you can barely even see her face anymore. Have to admit though…I see why he's always so upset…man she was pretty."

"He always looks so sad when he thinks about her," Mika pointed out, "Doesn't he have any happy memories of her?"

Alex sighed. "I'm sure he does…problem is he blames himself for her death. Something about her getting caught up in his bad karma, just because he thought he could run from his past or something," he said, "He tries to keep it all inside, but if you bottle something like that up, it's gonna build pressure, and eventually, it'll find an outlet. With Randy it's pretty much a downward spiral of depression…and anger."

Mika kept looking at Randy with a studying gaze. "What do you think he'll do if he ever kills this Victor person?"

Alex scoffed, "If?" he asked, "Listen…" He stood up patting her on the shoulder. "There is no 'if'. That man over there, would claw his way out of hell to get to Victor," he said wiping the oil from his hands, "It's just a matter of time before Randy gets what he wants. Then god only knows what he'll do…I just hope his memories don't make him do something stupid."

Mika turned to Alex as he walked toward a small bench. "What do you mean?"

Alex chuckled, shaking his head. "You don't see it do you?" he asked, "He's a lot more emotional a person than he attempts to let on. Once Victor is dead, his only thoughts are gonna be of her…and people tend to do stupid shit when they're depressed," he said taking a drink from a water bottle he had sitting by, "Believe it or not I honestly hope he never does get his hands on Victor."

Mika was a bit surprised. "Why? Don't you want your friend to be happy again?"

"Trust me…" Alex replied, "Nobody wants to see him happy more than we do," he said, "But…his hatred for Victor is pretty much the only thing keeping him going anymore. Without Victor to chase around, he's got no more reason to live."

Mika looked back to Randy. Sure he looked depressed, he'd lost the woman he loved, even Mika could respect that. She knew however what Alex was trying to say…were Randy to finish off Victor there was a strong chance that he'd kill himself shortly afterward. As Alex looked over some papers Mika slowly walked over to the lone human that was still staring at the photo in his hand. She couldn't bring herself to say anything however…

"Don't…" he half whispered.

Mika nearly jumped as suddenly as his voice came. "Don't what?"

"Tell me you know how I feel…" he replied, "Everybody tells me that they know, and they feel sorry for me, and everything will be better. I hate the people that say that…so just don't."

Mika sighed. "I wasn't going to," she said finding a seat beside him, though leaving a distance between them, "I've never really loved anyone…so there's no way I could possibly know how you feel. I can understand how you feel, but, there's no way I could actually know." There was a long silence that made the young minx feel rather uncomfortable until she remembered something. "So your offer still stand?" she asked, "You know…to teach me?" she said tapping the sword that leaned against the bench.

"I told you it was your choice." Mika was happy to hear a steady change in his voice. "I wanna warn you though, I've been told my training can be somewhat severe."

Mika chuckled. "You? Severe? Pah."

Randy sighed. "Well we'll have time for that on the way. We should take off sometime soon. I don't want Krystal realizing we're gone till the ship reaches Kaleet…she'd have us stopped in an instant."

"You're right," Mika replied, "I'll help Alex set up the transport."

Though they were aware that what they were doing was going directly against what Krystal would want them to do, having Jay with them would help the team in the long run…

*******

The dark furred pyrokinetic and his friend Max made their way to Katina. Since there was much less fighting going on there, they were certain they could find a buyer for the strange weapon they'd recovered from Corneria. However, as the two headed out of the hanger they had landed in, a strange figure stepped out into their path…

"Hello boys."

The animal had light gray fur, and was wearing a strange white coat that nearly touched the ground. His hair was long and laying against his shoulders, as a strange weapon projected three long blades from his sleeves. Drayvn was amazed. He knew that Wolverines were from Stygian, but he had never seen one before. He knew they were strong, and violent, and this one was clearly trained to kill…

"What the hell do you want ugly?" the black-furred vulpine asked.

The young wolverine chuckled. "It would be helpful if the two of you would simply lay down whatever weapons you're carrying and come with me, but I sincerely doubt I'm that lucky," he said looking up to them exposing a large black X of fur on his face, "So why don't we just do this the fun way?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Author Notes: **_Okay here's the next chapter. Hopefully there won't be a massive wait for the next few, since they'll be the last one's. Sorry this chapter isn't as long as I'd planned but, it really couldn't be helped. As always thanks for the support, and thanks still go to **Crafty Lefty** for the assistance..._

* * *

……**Chapter 15……**

**The Nemesis…**

A distressed young vulpine sat on the edge of his bed staring out the window into the endless voids beyond. His mind was a mess of questions. In an instant however, his mind was jolted toward the sleeping lapin behind him. Silver looked quickly to see that she'd pulled his tail in her sleep and was now cuddling it like a stuffed animal with a pleased smile on her face. As much as he tried to think of something else, he couldn't get his mind off the vixen he'd fought on Titania. He wondered if he'd done the right thing in letting her live, but he knew that he couldn't bring himself to kill her. The fact that Omni was still creating more animals like himself made him sick to his stomach. Would they do the same thing to her if she began to act like a normal animal? Freeze her in stasis and cast her aside? Silver sighed deeply before standing only to have himself jerked back to a sitting position by his tail. He'd forgotten she even had a hold on it…

"Where are you going this late?" she muttered, "You know we'll be there in the morning. Did you think I was asleep?"

Silver chuckled. "No." He looked over his shoulder. "You snore."

Roxy could see the conflict in his eyes. He was planning something. "You're…about to do something stupid aren't you?"

Silver smiled. "No…" he replied, "I was just…lost in thought."

He suddenly felt the pink furred bunny's body press into his back as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I wish there was something I could do to help." she hummed in his ear.

Her roaming paws over his shirtless chest were enough to tell him what she was talking about. The vulpine slowly turned around pulling her into a passionate embrace. Their kiss dragged them both to the mattress, where Silver finally pulled away from her breathing heavily, with a soft smile…

"What?" Roxy asked.

He always found it difficult. He found it amazing that only one word could actually sum up how he felt for her at any one time…

"I love you."

The pink furred lapin seemed to glow with embarrassment, "I love you too."

Time became lost to the two as they fell back into their impassioned embrace…if there was anyone, or anything that could keep his mind from wandering off, it was her…

*******

**Katina City…**

**Unified Lylatian Military Compound…**

*******

Vanity looked up at the massive building. Katina hadn't seen nearly the extent of fighting that Corneria had, and worse yet was that Corneria was still undergoing massive skirmishes as what was left of the military there was being supported by Katina as well as several over small militias and mercenary groups from around the Trinity Accord. The distant sounds of gunfire and exploding bombs dampened her spirit. She'd been General for no more than a month and already she was caught up in a war. Katina was putting up one hell of a fight against Omni's forces. but for the most part their troops were suffering heavy casualties. The general of the Katinan military was a well know figure; Vance T. Cordigain was a known war hero that had survived several different full frontal assaults during the Lylat Wars, Aparoid Invasion, and the Angalar war. He'd been general there for some time, which was something that brought many questions to her attention. She approached the doors of the massive building only to be stopped by two large wolf guards dressed in full fatigues, and fitted with a number of weapons…

"Ma'am…" one said holding out a small metal detector wand, "I'm sorry but it's procedure in war time."

At the moment Vanity unbuttoned the red jacket that generals were officially adorned with, showing the rather low neck of her undershirt. The sight of her body caused the second wolf to ogle her cleavage like a starving pup staring at a steak. As she allowed the first to go over her with the detector, he suddenly stopped only to have her hold out the side of her coat revealing a small firearm. He took the weapon and inspected it. It was an ARC or archaic weapon, fired bullets instead of lasers…

"Nice choice for a side arm," he said, "But no weapons are allowed on the premises."

"Fine…" the black furred feline replied, "Does your friend have a staring problem or is he just lonely?"

The one in front of her sighed. "TAVER!" he shouted swiftly slapping him in the back of the head, "The fuck is wrong with you? She's a general man." He went on looking back to her. "Geeze show a little fucking respect."

Vanity chuckled a bit as he went back to scanning her for other weapons. "You are quite a gentlemen aren't you?"

Without looking away the wolf lightly laughed. "No ma'am. Just the way ma daddy raised me." he said standing up.

Vanity slowly buttoned her jacket back up. "What's your name soldier?"

The soldier snapped to attention. "Private first class, Evan Jacobs ma'am."

"No formalities Evan please…I hate formalities." She giggled walking away. "Keep yourselves alive boys."

*******

Vanity found herself in a large room sitting at a round table. The room was lax of anything short of a holographic imaging system located in the center of the huge table, where a number of different animals sat. She looked about the room summing up each person. There was Mathius Ballock to her left, a senator from the Xenass Colony; Agatha Parch, the snooty bitch that had always sat on the Cornerian High Council looking down on the Star Fox team; Jeremiah Penderson, a strange fellow from Zoness; Kraven Drath from the Stygian System; and Ian Grant from the Dan'jas system. Some of the animals she'd gotten to know personally, others she scarcely trusted, and in the case of Agatha Parch, the collie with an overblown opinion of herself, absolutely despised. It was as she sat there that a white furred feline sat beside her. He was a large fellow dressed in a very sharp blue suit…

"Thank god someone here that's not out of their mind," he said smiling to her.

Vanity sighed, "What do you want?" the feline hissed, "One would think you would have learned your lesson by now."

Ian laid his ears back. "Still angry, huh?"

"Get a life Ian." the angry feline replied.

Sensing bitter hostility toward him, the white furred feline stood up and headed off before he was replaced by a familiar canine. The sight of him caused Vanity to sigh…

"What's up Van?" he asked.

Vanity sighed. "Nothing Bill, thanks for coming though. I can't stand these meetings. Nothing but people that either don't want me here or just outright don't trust me…but, I had to call this meeting."

"He seems to trust you," Bill said looking to Ian.

Vanity growled under her breath. "Don't get me started on him. Not the first time we've met. He's been hitting on me since high school," she said, "He dated one of my best friends for three years, and was cheating on her every fucking day."

"Well…maybe you should get this meeting started."

Vanity took a deep breath, before Bill patted her on the back, encouraging her to stand. As she did the group kept talking amongst themselves. The young black feline then coughed into her fist, twice before the noise died down and most eyes were on her…

"Thank you all for coming here on such short notice," she announced, "I know some of you had your own agendas to take care of, but it is an immense show of good will that so many could come."

"Yes, yes," a middle aged female collie in the back said, "Spare us the semantics…why are we all here?"

It was difficult for Vanity to not go off on the canine. "Well Councilman Parch, I have called this as an emergency meeting for all of the Trinity Accord," she said, "I have called you all here because I have a plan for stopping this war."

"Excuse me General…" a much older lion said, "Mathius Ballock, I don't believe I've had the pleasure," he said graciously, "However, I find it a bold statement to stake such a claim at the moment. Seeing as how we have at the moment lost Corneria to the Omni Corporation. What exactly is it you intend to do?"

Vanity could almost feel them all staring a hole in her, "Bill Gray's fleet has intercepted a low wire transmission," she said, "They plan on pooling their forces here to Katina, and I am afraid I have no idea what to do. That is why I have called this meeting…It is my belief that Lylat will not survive their next attack. I wish to help pool all the Lylatian forces to Dan'jas and Stygian where they can do some good, and evacuate what people we can from this planet," she said.

A stout wolverine stood, "I understand…" he said, "As General of the United Stygian forces, I have no right to sever ties with the Accord, but, I refuse to have my men die for one who has no idea of what it is they're doing."

"And you have a better idea General?" Bill half shouted.

The wolverine glared in the canine's direction. "I do not believe I was referring to a traitorous whelp like you mister Gray!" he shouted, "May I even inquire why it is this animal is allowed in this chamber!?"

Vanity stood up suddenly. "General Drath, I place all my trust in Bill Gray. He has proven his worth in helping us hunt down vital members of the Omni corporation's personnel on more than three of the Accord's planets, not including some in your own star system," she huffed, "Were I you I'd show a bit more restraint when attempting to condemn him…"

The general sat back down, "I understand what it is that he has done for my people," he said, "But that does not mean that he is not still working for them."

Vanity sighed, "And what is to say that any number of animals, including myself are not working for Omni?" she said, "I say any one of us could be. In fact I have something that I'd like to point out to this council," she said, "In fact it was one of the key reasons I called this meeting." The feline stood up. "First off…as of now I am calling the Lylat system under Martial Law."

"You cannot do that!!!" the collie Agatha shouted standing up.

Vanity shot up in reprisal, "Like hell I can't!" she shouted back, "As general of the Lylatian military, I have right…and obligation to take over full political control if I think the council is unable to be trusted at any point," she said, "Bill run the recording."

Bill simply reached into his pocket laying a recorder on the table and pressed a button…

"Are you certain?" an unfamiliar voice stated.

Suddenly the others in the room all turned to Agatha as her voice was the next that came from the recording. "Yes, the attack will be very early on Papetoon. I still haven't recovered any information from the Stygian alliance, but I am certain I can get their transmission channels…"

"And Dan'jas?" the strange voice asked.

"Dan'jas as you know is a bit harder to infiltrate," the collie's voice replied, "It is much harder to get through their defenses. Stygian animals are all morons, they have no proper defenses."

Vanity sighed. "See…I always knew you were a heartless bitch Agatha," she said, "You have treated Fox and his team worse than any animal in the entire Lylat system," she said, "But the fact that you were doing all this right under our noses and selling out our troops to them…is beyond even you. What do you have to say in your defense?"

Agatha looked to the others in the room dumbstruck. "Did you honestly think that Beltino would come back and I wouldn't have him hack every transmission going in and coming out of this planet?" Vanity said tossing a folder to the table, "You've already screwed your employers," she said as two soldiers entered the room, "The documents you sent to your Omni buddies, were all fake," she said, "And you have your own problems to deal with now," she said tilting her head toward her, "Marcus, Frank…get this piece of trash out of my sight," she said watching them drag the collie away, "And Marcus…put her in general population. Make sure they inmates are well aware of what she's there for."

Vanity sighed as she sat down again. The others in the room weren't sure what to think. All of them, spare Bill had never given her any real credit for her abilities as a general, but now they were all simply stunned that she'd been planning something this elaborate behind everyone's back. The Stygian General smiled to the black furred feline…

"You…are a shrewd little kitten…" he said, "I take it you have a plan to go with this little set-up."

Vanity took a deep breath. "I sure as fuck do."

**********

**Kaleet, Titania's 3****rd**** moon…**

**Several hours later…**

**********

Krystal stood by her Arwing and looked out over the horizon. Kaleet was usually a peaceful place; clear, sunny, and green. However, as she looked out over the mountains she could only see dark clouds rising from beyond the hills just to the north. It was as she stood there that Creed approached her…

"Why the hell are we so far away from the city?" he complained.

Krystal sighed. "Because we have no idea how bad it is in there, and we don't want to land in the middle of a war zone," she said activating her communicator, "Jane, how's that scan coming? And has anyone found Mika, Alex, or Randy yet?"

"No…nobody's seen them since before we landed," she said, "And worse off…the scans did come back. I think you guys should get to the city as soon as you can, cuz something's got me worried. The scans are picking up life, but, it's too few, and faint."

Krystal looked back to the small group that had come with her. The animal she referred to as Fox, Jeff, Silver, Creed, and Vixy instantly realized the horrible look on the vixen's face…

"I think we'd better hurry," she said, "Jane, I want you to scan the entire planet."

"That could take about an hour," Jane replied over the headset.

"I understand that, just do it," Krystal replied, "I have a really bad feeling about this."

The small group found that they were not far from the city, but as they dropped down into the small valley that led there, they could see the city. It was a small city compared to others they'd seen, but tall towers of black smoke rose from the streets. It was clear that the entire city was pure chaos. The six animals quickly rushed off toward the city with their weapons at the constant ready. Though it was a bit over a mile away, the small group managed to make it to the city rather quickly…and as they stepped onto the streets of the city they could see why Jane's scans came back they way they had. The streets ran red with blood, vehicles lay overturned and flaming, buildings were thrashed, and the streets were littered with the heinously mutilated corpses of what Krystal was certain was the entire city's population. The light-furred version of Fox McCloud stepped to a nearby echidna whose abdomen had been torn almost completely open, and knelt beside her…

"This was 'his' doing…" he said.

Creed looked over the streets. Animals hung from street posts by means of their own entrails, bodies lay strewn about the pavement, most missing appendages, some not so lucky, and the smell was absolutely horrible…

"This…is some heavy shit…" he half whispered, "Who knew Fox had this kind of rage locked up inside of him all these years."

Fox's better half stood up. "We have to put a stop to this," he said, "We have to find him."

"And what are we gonna do?" Krystal interjected, "Look at this…" Her ear suddenly twitched causing the vixen to look toward an overturned vehicle.

The others seemed to stop for a moment as she held up a paw, approaching the vehicle slowly with curiosity in her eyes. The vixen slowly knelt by the passenger side door, only to see a young crimson furred echidna curled up in a much older, dead, female echidna's arms rubbing her face against the corpse's chest. The little one fell back with a short cry as she noticed the vixen…

"No, no. It's okay…" Krystal said reaching for the little one, "I won't hurt you. We're here to help."

When the child wouldn't come to her, she used a slight touch of her telepathy to give the child the impression that this animal would not harm her in any way. Looking to her dead mother, then to Krystal, the little echidna quickly rushed out to her arms, wiping her tears on the vixen's shoulder who cradled the child petting her head, as her own tears were shed for the little one…

"It's okay…" she assured the echidna, "You're safe now," she said looking to her team, "Vixy take her."

The white vixen slowly made her way over before reaching out and lifting the little one, "Come on…" She smiled, "You're a brave little one aren't you?" she asked walking away with the little one in her arms.

Krystal took a moment to compose herself. Her own emotions calmed a bit, as the child's did…but a sudden call from Jane caught her attention…

"Krystal…" she called, "We have a slight problem. I started scans on the next city. Zero life signs. And the planetary scans aren't coming back any better." The feline suddenly gasped. "Krystal! There's a huge energy reading headed for your location! I don't know what it is but get the hell away from there!"

Krystal looked to Vixy, "You feel that don't you?" she asked the white furred vixen.

"I do…" Vixy replied, "It's him."

Fox's better half stepped forward. "Everyone get back to the ship."

"What about you?" Krystal asked.

Fox sighed. "Without Fox's spirit here…he and I won't be able to harm one another, but the landscape will suffer, as well as anyone else that might be there," he said, "You would not believe what destruction will ensue when light and darkness actually meet."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Vixy asked.

Fox sighed. "Yes. We need to take this opportunity to stop this creature. The sword…the blade McCloud used to kill Arlex. I need that weapon."

"Why do you need it?" Krystal asked.

"No questions," Fox half shouted, "If you ever want to see the real Fox McCloud again…you will bring that weapon here," he said, "I can hold him here. He cannot destroy me and I cannot destroy him…his instincts will tell him to kill me, but he will never be able. This is your prime opportunity. Once the Conduit is here he and I must both lay our paws on it to bring McCloud back and end this nightmare." The vulpine suddenly turned toward the far end of town. "He's coming. He knows we're here…Go! Now!"

Though the others all fled toward their ships, Krystal stayed behind. "I…I don't want to leave you…" she said, "You may be different, but you're still my Fox."

Fox gratefully wrapped his arms around the vixen. "I am sorry Krystal, but, I am not, nor will I ever be Fox McCloud. I may look like, and even feel like him…but I can see in your eyes that you know the difference," he said, "It was very humbling to experience this part of my existence. I wish that I could actually feel these emotions that I can sense. To know love would be a wonderful gift," he said slightly pushing her away, "But…I suppose being from other worlds we are not meant to share the same experiences." He smiled as he brushed the hair from her eyes, "I see however, everything that makes him love you…and I am happy to be a part of his existence. Now go. I will be fine…you have to bring the Conduit here. I wish to go home."

Suddenly the horizon began to grow black. Thundering rain clouds formed overhead as if from the air itself, and the land was rushed by a frigid wind carrying with it a foul and bitter taste that caused the vixen to recoil…

"What is that?" she asked.

Fox looked to the looming clouds. "He has gotten stronger," he said stepping forward, "I beg you to bring the weapon here. I wish to be whole again…I want to go home."

Krystal stumbled away a bit. "I promise I'll bring it back as soon as I can," she called out running off.

"Just hurry!" Fox shouted.

Refusing to look back, the vixen quickly rushed off toward her friends and their ships. She could feel the dark creature's presence even at the distance she stood now from the ruined city. She couldn't bear to look back or she feared that she'd rush back. Boarding her Arwing at that moment made her feel as though her heart was torn from her chest. She felt as if she was leaving him behind…

*******

As soon as she was aboard the Nemesis again, the vixen rushed to the bridge ahead of the rest of the crew, heading for the bridge where she finally threw herself into the captain's seat, frantically pounding out a familiar number to open a com line. There was a short delay before a familiar face showed up on the screen before her…

"Rose…don't ask why but I need the sword." she said huffing as she was slightly out of breath from her run across the massive ship, "We're going to get Fox back."

The feline sighed with a smile of what Krystal was certain was great relief, before she bit her lip. "Krystal there was a problem when Corneria was attacked. Two animals raided the facility where the sword was kept. We know where it is, but we cannot find the animals that have it," she said.

Krystal slapped her paw to her forehead. "Goddamnit!" she shouted, "At least tell me you know where it is."

"We found the ship the two ran off in on Xenass." she said with her image vanishing and being replaced by two wanted posters, "These are Dravyn Dark, and Maxx Commins. They're wanted in Dan'jas for reasons I don't even want to know…the point is they have what you want and they're somewhere on the Xenass Colony."

Krystal sighed. "I'll keep in touch then…" she said huffing angrily, "I swear if one more thing goes wrong…" she half shouted slamming her fist against her console causing the transmission to end.

After closing the line Krystal looked to everyone. "MIA! Set a warp jump for the Xenass Colony…and get us there as quickly as possible."

Creed was oddly the first to make it to the bridge. "The hell?" he asked, "You know that kid Terya heard that? Hope she doesn't have a habit of repeating what she hears."

The vixen sighed. "Sorry…just that so many things are going wrong."

Creed sighed. "I know it's hard…just don't look too far off. We've almost got Fox back."

"Thanks Creed," Krystal said, "Make sure you're ready though. Once we get to Xenass we'll be moving fast. I want those two found ASAP," she said looking to the images of the two thieves still displayed on her screen.

*******

**Elite Cornerian Battleship**

**Gigas**

*******

Vanity sighed as she found herself sitting in the seat of an Arwing in the docking bay of a huge ship. It was one she was unfamiliar with, but it was her ride back to Corneria, one that was taking its time. The feline ran her paws over the control console, thinking back to her carefree days as a simple pilot. She missed those days, back then there was no war, there was hardly anything she ever had to worry about. It was as she let out a depressed sigh that a familiar voice rang in her ear as she felt the fighter shift to one side as a familiar canine leaped onto the jet's wing…

"Thought I'd find you here," he said.

The black furred feline only looked to Bill for a moment before looking back to the controls of the fighter. "Remember when you, Ayme, and me were still in the academy on Katina?"

Bill chuckled stretching his back. "Kinda hard to let go isn't it?" he asked rubbing the smooth metal of the ship's wing, "I know what it feels like, but I deserved it when they stripped my wings. I still don't think you ever deserved what HQ did to you back then."

Vanity scoffed. "Thanks Bill. How's Ayme doing?"

Bill sighed with a hint of relief in his voice. "Better, she's actually talking again. Her mind's a little scattered after the coma and all…but doc says she'll pull through."

"What about the baby?" she asked pulling around on the Arwing's flight controls.

Bill laughed. "Nine pounds seven and a half ounces." He chuckled. "She's huge. Doc says he's never seen a healthier kid."

The feline laid her forehead against the ship's control console. "Bill…" She sighed. "Am I doing the right thing? About Omni I mean?"

Bill laid his paw on the feline's back. "Van, I can't tell you if it's the right thing or not. I've been a military dog all my life, I just follow orders and occasionally pass 'em out. Fox was always the leading type, not me. But, I can guarantee you that I'll have your back no matter how good or bad this goes. You have a plan, that's more than any of the lazy bastards on this ship can say for himself…" he said, "I mean look at these people…" he said causing her to look at the ship's personnel running about the docking bay, "None of them give a shit about the greater good…fuck…" he scoffed, "Most of the people in this room's main concern is how big their next paycheck's gonna be. Only reason anyone ever joins the military anymore. It's not about people, or homeland anymore, hell it's not even about freedom anymore. Every man, woman, and child for himself. People like you and Fox, you guys are one in a million; self-sacrificing people that only care about everyone no matter who they are."

"My mom and dad were always preaching to me that Star Fox was the fabric of the military," she said, "Even when I was little and James was still leading the team. I just want everyone, especially Fox and his team to know that they don't have to babysit the entire star system…" she said, "I've seen what our treatment has done to him and his friends. I just want Fox to see that he doesn't have to try so hard all the time. Corneria used to be the greatest military superpower in the entire galaxy. Now look at us…" she said, gesturing to the docking bay full of soldiers moving here and there, "We're losing a war…for the first time in a millennium, and it's not even to another planet, or people. They aren't a superior race to us either. It's just a company lead by some psychotic piece of shit that thinks he can hold the universe to himself," she said shaking her head, "The entire Alliance has gone soft Bill. We relied on Star Fox to protect us through everything and look what happened to us."

Bill sighed leaning back on his paws. "Just hearing you say that without ever having officially met him, would make Fox very happy. He'd be happy to see that someone other than himself had that same opinion. Makes me…kinda happy too," he said, "Man I wish you would have come with me when I transferred to the Corneria academy for Spec Ops training. Fox would have loved to meet you back then…now I'm afraid he'll never get the chance…"

The feline sighed. "He will…" she replied leaning back in her seat, "Krystal and her team are on their way to fix whatever it was that turned Fox into that thing that attacked the people in the hospital, and destroyed the Gate Station." She sighed. "Are the men all in place?"

Bill nodded. "Yeah. Thirty-two squadrons from Katina was all they were willing to space for the attack. The Luxonians say they're in but…you know how they are, we'll see. Contact says the Hadians sent about twenty-seven squads themselves, and as far as we know Dan'jas in total has already sent nearly forty squads," he finished, "So that's roughly what?" He paused going over the numbers in his head.

"Twenty thousand pilots…" Vanity quickly interrupted, "Give or take. More than I thought, but still not as much as I'd hoped for. Omni still has more men…and their numbers are increasing. What about our…other contact?"

Bill sighed. "They're…hesitant in whether or not to help. We haven't seen eye to eye in the past…but, he's working on it."

"Omni will be using their technology against us," she said, "With their help we may stand a chance."

"I recently got word from Mika…" Bill said changing the subject slightly, "Apparently her and two of those humans from the Nemesis are headed to one of Omni's complexes. The humans believe that a friend of theirs is being held there. Claims he's pretty much the forefather of the humans modern tech."

Vanity sighed looking to a small area of mechanics working furiously at what looked like one of the human's Keizers. "What about the prototype?"

Bill shook his head with a sigh. "Not good. It's fast, and it can outmaneuver our Arwings by a narrow margin, but we can't recreate the humans' shield technology, which I'm sad to say is far beyond ours," he said, "That Alex person…he told me that Keizers handle guns and blades because their shields are hard to wear down. Apparently bullets and blades are your only hope at getting through their shields without having to overload them," he said, "If they're using human technology to fight us, then those prototypes are the 9th Squadron's only hope for getting past Omni's front lines and laying into their HQ." He sighed. "Ours are a bit more quick than the one's Jeff and his partners pilot, since Beltino managed to implement the G-diffuser into its operations system. At the moment though that's about all we've got going for us."

Vanity sighed. "Well it's a start. How long until the units are completed?"

"Well they passed their first flight test…but one of 'em had a hard time landing." He chuckled. "Though I'm sure that can be accredited to the fact that the pilots have never flown anything like this before. The instructions that Jeff and his team put together has helped, but, in the long run it would be a lot more helpful if we had one of the humans here."

Vanity smiled. "And the Mk-IV…how are things on it going?"

"We used that Crystalic Fusion Array that Fox had stolen from Omni a while back on Xenass to build the engine," Bill said with a smile, "So far the engine's output capacity exceeds anything that R&D has ever seen. We've based the flight model around a concept design called the V-01 Razor. So far according to Beltino's tests, it's maneuverability is something our current Mark-Threes could only dream of. Unfortunately right now we've only got a select few pilots that could handle that kind of machine."

Vanity smiled. "I know someone I can trust to do it," she said handing the canine something.

Bill looked to his paw to see a familiar pinion, a large 'C' centered in the middle of a planet with a pair of golden wings stretching out from the planet…

"In a situation like this I want someone I can trust behind the strike team," she said, "I'm reinstating you as Captain of the Delta Squad…you're gonna fly the Mk-IV and lead the first wave against Omni's largest battle ship. While they're attempting to defend themselves, the team with the Keizers is going to make use of their small size and enter the ship. Inside they'll be like walking tanks…nearly impossible to take down by traditional means that ships often have onboard. Each member of the Keizer team will be equipped with a specially designed Nova Bomb, armed to a bit more than a hundred times the normal strength. So as soon as your team gets the word I want you to get your men out of there at any cost…understand?"

Bill looked at the pinion in his paw. it was like a missing part of himself, one he'd not seen in ages. "Just one problem…" he replied, "Nobody in their right mind is going to follow orders from a traitor," he said.

"Since when did I start working with people that were in their right mind?" she asked, "We're a handful of animals without a prayer in the world fighting an uphill battle. There's not a sane animal in this entire fleet."

"I hope to god you're right Van." Bill sighed hopping down off the wing of the fighter.

"Where the hell are you going?" the feline asked.

Bill turned allowing her to see that he'd already pinned the small badge to his shirt. "I don't have a whole lot of time before all this starts. I gotta get to know the men that I'll be flying with don't I?" he asked, "With enough luck they'll learn to trust me again."

Vanity smiled as she watched him walk off. He had a bounce in his step she'd not seen in some time. Seeing an old friend have his spirits raised by nothing more than a small piece of metal made her content. If only it were so easy to raise the morale of the entire Cornerian Army. With a sigh the dark furred feline lay back in her seat, looking to the ceiling of the docking bay, as only one thought moved through her mind.

"_Krystal…I really hope we planned this out right._"


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:**_ Hey everyone. How's it going? I can be happy that I finally got the next chapter of this out there, and have the ending pegged down in the next four chapters. Imma try to punch this thing out in twenty chapters, though it might fall a little short. Anyhow, thanks for the massive support, and I'll have my next chapter up asap...C'ya..._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox

* * *

  
_

……**Chapter 16……**

Dravyn sighed as he and Max stepped off of their ship. It was amazing that they'd managed to get away from the strange animal that had attempted to stop them from leaving Corneria. He still questioned why the stranger was so determined to stop the two from leaving. Max still held his left arm, it was clearly broken…and Drayvn hadn't even seen the blade…or whatever brand of weapon it was that had laid the long gashes in his arm and leg. Right now he was simply happy to be in a place that, for the most part, was considered home. Xenass was hardly a place for a family or anything, but it was still somewhere he felt he belonged. He reached over patting his otter friend on the shoulder…

"Whatta ya say we go get this all patched up?" he asked, "I'm sure Mona will be happy to see you."

"Are you ever going to shut up with that?" Max protested.

Drayvn chuckled as he led the way. "Well either way, let's get home before the whole damned star system comes after us."

Max followed after Drayvn, still holding his arm while examining the weapon strapped to his friend's back…

"You think we may have crossed a line here D?" the otter asked, "That was a military lock up. This thing could be dangerous."

Drayvn laughed. "What are you? Simple?" he asked, "It's a sword, of course it's dangerous. But you don't see weapons like this every day. It's a lot older than normal…there are some collectors out there that would sell their own momma to get their paws on this."

"Still though…" Max replied, "What about that freak back on Corneria?" he asked, "He nearly killed us. I've never seen anyone move like that…especially not with a knife."

Drayvn sighed. "I have. I don't know who that guy was, but…he was definitely a Viper Unit, or ex-Viper at the least. Either way we were lucky to get out of that alive."

"You saw that logo he was wearing…right?" Max asked, "That guy was from Omni."

"Yeah…" Drayvn replied, "I've seen that logo too many times."

It was as the two walked through the streets that the dark-furred vulpine began to wonder why Omni would send someone like that after him and Max. Neither of them were a threat, well, not from Drayvn's point of view. They were just simple thieves. Unless…

Drayvn quickly pulled the weapon that they'd stolen from Max's back. "Max. I think that freak was after this," he said looking it over, "Think about it. An Omni operative on Corneria, but he wasn't out helping in the fighting. Instead he was right there waiting for us at the hangar," he said, "What are the odds that he'd be following us here?"

Max thought for a moment. "If you're right I'd say odds are pretty fucking good," the otter replied, "You know more than anyone that Omni doesn't really know when to back off."

Dravyn sighed. "Shit. Let's get to Mona's place and get our shit packed," he said, "I don't want her being dragged into this if it can be avoided. We'll stay back, but we'll keep an eye on her just in case."

"Just in case?" Max asked.

Drayvn shook his head as he walked. "Something tells me this city is about to start getting crowded," he said, "Call it a hunch."

**********

**East Central Docking bay**

**Xenass Space Colony**

**********

A light blue vixen dismounted from her small fighter. Her plan was simple enough – leave the Nemesis in orbit around the station, get in, get the sword, and get out. Being she wanted no time to be wasted, the vixen only really called for the assistance of the two that followed behind her – Creed and Silver. Creed was well informed about this place, as Krystal was herself, and Silver could move like neither of the two could really ever hope or dream. He could move through the city keeping an eye out for any that matched the photos given to the team of the two thieves. The vixen looked to Silver and nodded causing the young, slender animal to quickly vanish into an alleyway…

"Okay Jane…" Krystal said into her communicator, "Keep track of him the best you can. Did you find anymore info on those two?"

There was a pause followed by the sound of the cheetah's fingers dancing over a keypad. "I got something. Apparently Drayvn has an old acquaintance that lives around that area named Mona Dezmond…she used to be a teacher at the Flight Academy, but her record seems to stop after just about five years back. Other than that all I can say is that she lives at 476 North Jadden Street, Apartment 68, and that I really doubt that's her real name. If anything she could probably tell you where to find him."

"How sure are you that she is who you think she is?" Krystal asked.

There was another pause, as the cheetah mused for a moment. "Pretty damn certain. The information is pretty solid."

"That's good. Thanks Jane," the vixen said.

"Anytime Krystal," Jane replied, "You three be careful…okay? And try to keep that big idiot out of trouble."

Krystal laughed as Creed shook his head with a slight smile. "No promises kid."

Krystal and Creed made their way into the streets of the large, seemingly underground city. Xenass was not the kind of place that you lived because you wanted to, rather this part of the colony was a place you lived only when you had no other alternative…or when you were just trying to get away from someone or something. The vixen wondered why this Mona person was here, or better yet why this Drayvn would come here rather than any other place in Lylat. Certainly there were better places he could hide than here. At the moment all she could really do was thank god that the place she was headed to wasn't a very long walk from where she was. The building itself was something that she'd never dare even think of living in. It's outside was covered in graffiti, and it looked ancient. Some windows were covered by large slats of wood while others weren't even given the consideration of covering the shattered glass. The inside of the place looked slightly worse than the outside, if that was possible. There was trash scattered about the halls. Anyone standing there could hear the residents in the general area; crying babies, people yelling. The vixen thanked god that Jeff had given her the device she wore around her head. There was no telling what kind of telepathic stress was going through this building at the moment. She was happy enough to finally reach the fourth floor where they found the door to the room they'd been searching for.

Krystal paused for a moment as she reached to the device around her head and turned a small knob, which caused the flow of thoughts around he building to weigh down on her mind. It only took her a moment of focus to block it all out before she was able to focus on the room itself. Only one mind was actually in the room, it was a peaceful person, and a bit frightened as she seemed to realize that someone was outside her door. Krystal knocked very gently…

"Hello…" she called, "Is there a miss Mona here?"

The door cracked a bit, revealing the side of a young faun-colored otter girl's face, long red hair hanging about her face. Her bright sapphire eyes opened wide. Krystal expected her to say something, but the animal simply stood there staring at her. It was in a moment of uncertainty that the blue-furred vixen turned to Creed shrugging her shoulders…

"Are you felling alright?" Krystal asked. "Maybe we have the wrong apartment."

As she started off, the otter girl suddenly pulled the door open a bit more. "No you have the right place," she said, "It's just…I…you're not exactly someone I expected to come knocking on my door."

The young otter quickly turned around. "I-is there something you need?"

The vixen sighed. "Listen Mona, this is important. Your friend Drayvn could be in real danger right now," she said, "He has something with him right now that Omni would kill to get their paws on," she added, "If my team found you this easily, so can they and trust me, they will come here, and kill you, and Drayvn, and his friend Max."

The young animal looked about for a moment before unlocking the door. "P-please, c-c-come in."

Krystal was amazed at how clean the place was; compared to the outside this room was paradise. It was well taken care of, and more than two people had clearly been staying there at once. The otter's manner toward her however was a bit off. Mona seemed to have a hard time putting words together when directly talking to her…

"Drayvn and Max were here this morning," Mona said, looking Creed up and down.

Creed sighed. "I got something on my face?"

"No…I'm sorry I've just never seen a fox so…well…big."

Creed sighed again, while Krystal simply chuckled. "Yeah. He is a big fella…but he's as nice as they come," she said patting his arm, "Anyhow, where did they go?"

"I honestly don't know," Mona said sitting at a small table, seeming quite worried, "He seemed really worried, and in a hurry to leave. Something about some wolverine that attacked him and Max. They said he had a red X on his forehead. Drayvn had a few cuts that needed stitches, and Max had a broken arm. I was a nurse before I started teaching so they came here so they could avoid the hospitals."

"Then why let me in?" Krystal asked.

Mona chuckled looking to the wall in her living room. Krystal's eyes followed to find that there were several different framed magazines with her on the cover. "I collected every magazine they put you on," she said, "You were my inspiration to start flying…before that people had me convinced that it was something females just weren't meant to do. That the only ones that really did the military thing were tomboys and dykes. Then I saw you, and you were with Star Fox…I figured if someone as pretty as you could do it just about any girl could. I would know your face anywhere."

Krystal couldn't help but to smile shyly. "Wow. It's usually Fox or Falco that has fans like you. Not me."

The otter sighed. "Well there was a time like most girls my age that I was a little smitten with Fox. Unlike most of them however, I managed to push those ideas out of my head a long time ago."

Krystal sighed, this girl was stalling. "Mona. I know you're trying to protect them," the vixen said tapping her temple, "I can see it…and I can feel it. You have to trust me though, Creed and I are not the ones you need to protect them from," she said laying her paw on the otter's shoulder, "I respect what you're doing right now. I know they've done some things that make you feel you need to keep them from me…but I'm not here for them, I'm here for what they stole on Corneria. If it's money they want I have access to more than enough, but you need to understand that I need that sword."

Mona sighed. "I understand what you're saying…and I'll see what I can do," she said standing up, "If…"

The blue-furred vixen looked to Creed for a moment. "If…" she started looking to the otter, "If I'll kiss you. Right?"

The vixen could see Creed's eyes triple in size as he looked from the vixen to the otter for a moment, then back to the vixen…

"Why do you think I didn't care so much for Fox?" Mona asked. "I knew from the moment I saw you that I didn't really care for men. I'd experienced the same feeling before…but not on the same level as when I first saw you."

As Krystal considered the animal's offer she thought back to when she'd first started working with Fox and the others. Back then she would have found this interesting, as at the time she was not familiar with the idea of gays at all. However, her abilities allowed her to feel the otter's situation. Her mindset made her an outcast to her own family. She felt like an outsider in any society, that was her reason for living in this slum. It seemed to be without any prior warning that the vixen took Mona by the arms pulling her into what could have seemed like a legitimate moment of passion, the act taking Creed completely by surprise. To Krystal this was simply a nonviolent way of getting what she needed. To get Fox back she didn't know how far she'd go. As she broke her hold on the otter, Krystal lightly pushed her away waiting for the moment Mona opened her eyes…

"Mona please…" the vixen said softly, "You have no idea how much this means to me. A lot of people could die if I don't get that sword. Especially Fox."

Mona sighed, half from contempt at the vixen's kiss, and half from the disappointment that it had ended so soon. "Alright, give me your com channel, and the hangar we can find you at. I'll do what I can to convince D to come see you. If nothing else I'll get him to call you," she said, "D can be a bit thick at times…but give him time if he doesn't agree, he usually does the right thing."

Krystal sighed. "Good…we'll be waiting at hangar 36-B."

Mona nodded. "Alright. I'll talk to him as soon as possible," she replied, "But please don't think of me as a horrible person for this. You have no idea what it's like around here for a person like me."

Krystal sighed. "You're not a horrible person Mona," she said, "You could have asked for a lot more than what you did," she added, "Just make certain you keep your word."

**********

A familiar black-furred feline stood in the docking bay where she seemed to be listening to something with the assistance of a pair of headphones to keep her concentration on what she was hearing. She stood before a much smaller version of the Keizers the humans had used. It was much smaller than theirs to fully accommodate the new pilot's much shorter height. It was red across its chest panel, and down it's metallic abdomen. Its arms were longer than usual reaching down to its knees, and they were a shining chrome. Its hands were tipped with long, sharp fingers. At the moment a few animals were busy installing what seemed like a large gun on the unit's shoulder. It was as she studied the strangely beautiful thing that Bill approached her from behind as she pulled the headphones from her ears…

"You sure you wanna pilot that thing?" the canine asked pulling a pair of sunglasses up and resting them on his forehead.

Vanity sighed as she stripped off the gray and red flight jacket that she'd been wearing recently, leaving behind only a dark red tank top. "To be completely honest…" she said, "I'm nervous. The total specs on this thing are off the charts, it's faster than anything we've ever dealt with, and I'm not sure there's really a pilot here that can handle it."

Bill suddenly stopped for a moment, stopping a passing scientist. "Is that thing gonna be safe?" he asked pointing to the large gun on the Keizer's shoulder, "What the hell is that anyhow?"

The young raccoon girl blinked for a moment as she realized she was in front of the General. "Oh…um that was sent by Professor Beltino. He calls it a 'Radiant Wave Cannon'. It fires a type of high powered electromagnetic particles at hypernatural velocities," she replied, "Its output is something that we at R&D aren't really familiar with. It's ready for its test stages. The General is the only one that has any experience with the Archangel."

"Archangel?" Bill asked.

Vanity chuckled as she stepped toward the large armored suit. "I named it…because that's what it reminded me of," she said.

Bill looked the thing over. "Heavenly protector huh? Don't you think that's going a little far?"

Vanity stepped a bit closer to the Keizer. It wasn't much larger than she was. "I find it fitting. After all, if I have my way about it, this thing is going to save our asses," she said pulling on a pair of slightly long gloves, "Now, you backing out on me or are you gonna get in your Arwing and watch out for me while I test this thing?"

The feline boarded the odd fighter leaving only her head showing. "Are you sure you can trust that thing?" Bill asked pointing to the Keizer, as the feline moved an arm about for a moment experimentally, "That is human technology. How much do we actually know about those guys in the fist place?"

Vanity sighed as she looked to the canine allowing the modified visor to form over her face. "I don't really know what to tell you Bill. Krystal said I can trust them…so I do. It's called faith, and it's the same as the faith I have in you," she said stepping around in the robotic suit, "Bill…we've know each other for some time, longer than anyone might guess. I trust you more than anyone else here, even after your affiliation with Omni…but you worry too damn much." She chuckled laying a metallic paw on his shoulder.

Bill chuckled as he stepped back, watching the Keizer place it's hands on its hips in a very Vanity-like manner. "So…how do I look?" Her voice was slightly muffled by the speaker systems.

Bill laughed, "Like a robot?" He shrugged/ "Actually…I kinda like it. You think we'll ever start mass production?"

Vanity chuckled. "We'll probably put the Arwing into mass production before these things," she said, "It feels strange though. If we could build one to accommodate it, this armor could easily fit in the cockpit of an Arwing."

"Yeah…" Bill chuckled. "Too bad, huh?" he replied, "Well get your ass moving and I'll meet you out there for that systems test."

It only took a few moments before the General found herself floating about in space. She found it frightfully nostalgic having naught but a thick layer of metal between her body and the frozen depths of space. She'd found since her first flight test of the suit that she rather liked the display visor. It was as she floated there that a single solid blue Arwing spun by before swinging about aiming its nose directly at her.

"Okay General…" a voice came over Vanity's radio, "Can you hear me alright?"

Vanity smiled. "Yes, it's just too bad this thing doesn't have visual capabilities, or you'd see the pissed off look on my face after I told you to stop calling me that."

The voice paused for a moment. "I'm very sorry General…but they hard wire this shit into you in boot camp."

Vanity chuckled. "Either way…let's get on with it."

"Alright…" the voice replied, "First off, let's go over the standards. How are your readings on the apparatus in the Archangel?"

"Life support at full, shields are looking good, weapon systems are on full, G-diffuser is looking good, all systems are go."

There was a sigh. "Good we were having a few problems before you took off with the electrical systems," the animal said, "Now, as you recall we were discussing the heads up display on your visor. It will list you current ammo reserves, and shields. We also put in a new feature, you should see a blue triangle on the very edge of your visor pointing toward Commander Gray right now…"

Vanity noticed instantly that at the edge of the face–shaped outline of the Keizer's visor, a blue triangle did indeed point her toward Bill's Arwing, until she looked directly at it, which then placed the small arrow over the ship…

"Yeah I see it," she said waving to Bill who replied in step from the cockpit of his fighter.

"That's a new system we developed for that unit…" the instructor said, "It's like the original system that the humans had on their Keizers. it's just running on low wave transponder signals instead of energy signatures. In short your suit will have a link to every ship that we have in our command. If the ship ID doesn't match, however…" She paused for a moment. Now only the sound of dancing fingers on keys could be heard. "I've just changed Bill's transponder signal, notice anything different?"

Vanity had no problem noticing the difference. "Yes. The arrow is red now."

"Exactly…if it's red, chances are it's not your friend out there," she said, "It's nearly full proof because there's almost no way to hack the system without being on this ship," she said, "Now, back to the weapons. You've proved the main functions of the weapons so far, but we need some readings on the Arc's new gear. First however, there's an ongoing bet that the Archangel can't outrun the Interceptor that Bill's piloting. This'll give us a good chance to test out its speed and maneuverability. I'll set up a rout marker on your and Bill's heads up then…"

Vanity watched as her visor suddenly was marked with a small orange square near the edge of the visor, which she followed until it was at the center of her visor. It was a short ways off, near a few floating chunks of space debris…

"That's your mark…" The instructor came back. "You and Bill will get to that point as fast as possible and then get back here, but whatever you do, don't ride your afterburners. We aren't sure about the booster capabilities on this thing yet. It's far too lightweight and we aren't sure how much output it might have. At this moment you weigh well under half that of the Mark-3 Arwings, and you're at least one-fourth their size. Even in that armor you're only, in total, about six feet tall, and just shy of four hundred pounds. It's like we said, that thing is light, fast, and lethal…to you as well as anyone in your crosshairs. Please be careful."

Vanity lined up next to Bill's Interceptor, who was already waiting for her…

On the bridge of the massive ship a well-dressed, rather large brown-furred bear approached the center of the bridge. He looked about for a moment, before looking out the windows at the two small ships…

"Ladies…" he announced, "Keep your fingers crossed. If we screwed the pooch on this one, there won't be another chance on it," he said taking a seat. "General…" he called, "Commander. Are the both of you ready?"

"As ever Captain Marks," Bill's voice replied.

"As much as I'll ever be, Captain," Vanity added.

The bear paused for a moment, wiping his forehead before wiping the sweaty paw against his light red captain's coat. "Go!"

At his command it seemed as though the two small vehicles became little more than a blur as they shot out for their destination. The bear was nervous. Though he was only the Captain of the ship, and his position held no authority over Vanity, he had still voiced his worries about the feline flying the experimental craft, but the General would have no part in it over than to remark on his, so called, cute habit of trying to keep her out of harm's way. It was however as he sat there that he looked up to a young skunk in a white lab coat that he opened his eyes…

"Captain, you have to see these readings…" he said, "They're amazing."

In a hurry to see the results of the new ship, the Captain quickly rushed to the control panel that the skunk led him to. As he looked on at the small screen he was amazed. The Interceptor was at least twice as fast as any model of Arwing that had yet been produced as its weight had been cut back by lessening its grade of armor plating and weapon payload, and yet this new piece of machinery was outrunning the Interceptor by more than a full ship's length. Rushing to the main viewing screen, the Captain quickly ordered that the image be zoomed in on Vanity's unit, which it almost instantly did. She was nearly at the end of the run when the Keizer suddenly pulled to what seemed like a complete stop, shooting back toward the ship in the same motion…

"Did you see that?" one of the animals at the bridge's many command terminals asked, "That thing's more maneuverable than anything I've ever seen. Nothing makes a turn like that, not in dead space."

Suddenly Vanity's voice echoed through the bridge's PA system, "Captain Marks, try to keep an eye on this thing. I'm going to see what it can really do."

As her voice vanished however, the animal closest to the Captain quickly turned toward him. "Sir, she's activating the Archangel's thrusters. She's going about to go hypersonic."

"Patch me through to her…" the bear replied receiving a nod after the animal worked on his console. "General, I really must voice my express concerns that you not continue your current actions. We have no idea if that thing can hold up under hypersonic conditions."

Vanity chuckled into her headset, "My uncle always told me something…you know what that was Captain?"

The bear thought for a moment. "No ma'am."

The feline chuckled again. "Uncle Vern always said, '_Procrastination is a lot like masturbation…it's all good and fun in the beginning, but in the end you only realize you just fucked yourself.'"_

Before another word could be said, the small craft that lingered far in the distance seemed to turn to nothing but a pure streak of red that shot beneath the ship. The captain could hardly believe his eyes. The suit's movements hadn't even registered on the ship's radar. It was in that instant that the ursine turned to the a vixen sitting off to his left…

"Miss Tanns, can you reach the General?"

The vixen pounded away at the keys before her. "I'm sorry sir, her system is not responding."

"Patch it through anyhow…" the captain demanded, "General Thorne…can you hear me? General, come in."

There was a dead silence across the huge ship, the worst was feared for the time. For all they knew the Keizer's G-diffuser could have given out as soon as she had shot off like that. However the sound of static suddenly crackled through the bridge's PA system. It was as this sound came through the PA system that one of the many bridge-hands turned to the large bear in the middle of the room…

"Captain…" he called, "There's a signal coming up on our starboard side."

There was another moment of silence before the captain spoke up. "General?"

"You sound like you were worried a bit there about me, Captain," Vanity's voice suddenly echoed through the bridge.

The ursine sighed with relief before collapsing into his seat. "General with all due respect, that was reckless, and bullheaded."

Vanity chuckled. "Yeah, but look at the bright side captain. We know it can handle itself."

Bill's voice joined the mix. "I can't really believe that thing is so fast. It's amazing…how did it feel Van?"

"It was amazing Bill," the feline replied, "It's the fastest I've ever moved without breaking into hyperspace."

The captain finally stood up again. "Well then, let's get our weapon testing underway. If the General is through with her fun."

Vanity laughed. "I am sorry Captain, I didn't mean to worry anyone."

Without any further interruptions the rest of the suit's tests were gone through…

**********

**Stygian System**

**Planet Tjarr, Outer Aerospace**

**********

A pale-furred minx stretched her back as she rolled out of bed. She was happy that the others seemed to only sleep every so often. The two or three day trip would have been horrible if she'd had to sleep anywhere but the only bed on the small ship that the three had taken. She grimaced as she stretched her back, only to recoil in a short burst of pain that shot through her body. Randy had warned her that his training methods could be considered a bit extreme, but so far it only went to show her that there was much more training out there that she could do to increase her skills. At this point she was actually convinced that the human could actually teach Fox or Krystal a thing or two…though she was certain she wouldn't look past the two vulpines' abilities to defend themselves. If she had to actually label it she would have put Randy at least on par with their fighting skill if nothing else…

Mika curled her nose at a foul stench in the air before lifting her arm and turning her nose toward her side, only to recoil at the smell. She'd apparently been so tired after her training the previous night that she'd forgotten to shower before bed. It was as she stood there that the white minx peeled off the light gray tank top she wore tossing it aside, before doing the same with her matching training shorts, and began to dig through her packed clothing for something fresh to wear. Today there'd be no more training, it was time to find out whether or not Alex had taught her enough to keep her cover strong, as they were now ready to deliver the minx to the Kappa Compound on the small planet below. She quickly pulled a pair of jeans and a tee shirt that she'd picked out, certain that they would make her seem a bit more presentable as a mechanic sent by the Omni higher-ups. According to Randy there wasn't a problem with her getting Omni's uniform, as they only assigned one on the spot, so chances were that hers was waiting for her on the Compound. It was as she headed for the ship's only private bathroom that she pulled loose the bra she wore tossing it toward her bags. Unfortunately, her movement caused several articles of clothing she carried to fall from her paws…

"Damn it," she grumbled, still a bit sleepy, as she bent over to pick up her clothes.

It was as she reached for her jeans that had fallen to the floor that an airy hiss from the room's door caused the minx to look back between her legs. She only caught Randy's face for a moment before he shot about looking at the wall behind him. Mika chuckled inwardly to herself. She'd never seen the human so…red. Even from here she could see that his usually light-colored skin was housing a bright red tint all the way down to his shoulders. She imagined that since his friend had killed his mate that it had been some time since actually seeing any kind of female in her particular position…

"I'm sorry…" the human murmured clearing his throat, "I was certain you were still sleeping."

Mika chuckled, out loud this time. "No…this isn't your fault. I could have waited until I was in the bathroom at the least before taking anything off," she said stopping on her way to the bathroom, "It's a scar by the way. I guess it looks a bit different under all the fur," the Minx finished reaching to a small, nearly unnoticeable patch of missing fur on her lower back, and running her fingers through it.

Randy mused to himself. "Mind if I ask?" he said keeping his eyes to the wall.

Mika leaned against the wall near the bathroom door, which slid open to her presence. She'd figured he'd ask. The human had somewhat lightened up since he started training her. "It happened about 10 years ago. I was seventeen. I'm not sure if we age the same as humans, but I guess you could call that an important phase in anyone's life…"

"Naturally…" Randy replied.

"I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time…" the minx said, "We have our problems in Lylat, just like I'm sure you do back where you're from; rape not being far off the list of dirty shit that people do. In my case however, I got one of those individuals that decides you're not worth much after he's had his fun. So he stabbed me three times in the back and left me for dead." She sighed. "I managed to crawl out into the street before I passed out from the blood loss…I woke up in the hospital two days later."

Randy lowered his head as he felt a bit lousy from having the minx relive such a thing. "I…I'm sorry."

"Don't be…" Mika smiled as she looked back at him. "I'm not. I've had a full decade to get over it, and cope with it. That which doesn't kill me…only makes me stronger. It also helped that Uncle Lloyd hunted the bastard down and made him sorry he was ever born a male."

"What of him?" Randy asked.

Mika sighed. "He's on Styx," she said walking into the bathroom.

Randy finally turned toward the roof after hearing the bathroom door slide shut. "Well, Alex has asked me to make certain you are ready to go. Your ship is ready."

"I'll be out there soon…" Mika replied, "I just smell like death at the moment. No thanks to your training. Either that or I'm just way out of practice."

"Good…" Randy said walking back out of the room, "Just try to make it fast."

The swordsman slowly made his way out of the room, leaving Mika to her business and thoughts. Today would prove to be a turning point. If the humans' friend did live, and he was liberated, then chances were he could help them to understand his inventions. If he was dead however, the team's only failsafe was to annihilate the compound completely, hopefully drawing attention away from the primary force that Krystal had set up to assault Omni's HQ…

**********

**Kaleet**

**********

A loud crash sounded over the horizon of a ruined city, as a tall building slowly began to lean to one side, before finally toppling to the ground in a horribly cloud of dust that covered the landscape. From the smoke a light chestnut-furred vulpine shot from the dust. His helpless body skid across the pavement for a ways before his back impacted the side of a small vehicle, whose blaring alarm slowly ground to a halt. The fox pulled himself from the large tent in the door of the vehicle before something black and ominous shot from the dust at him. The lighter furred animal quickly reached behind him, and as if it were no more than a small scrap of paper, brought the small vehicle crashing down on his opponent…

"_His strength keeps increasing…" _Fox thought to himself, _"But as long as I am standing, his urge to kill me will rule out his impulse to do anything else. If it is my destiny to remain here fighting this battle for eternity, it will be a small price to pay. I just hope that Krystal acts quickly."_

Suddenly the vehicle began to shriek in protest, as its front end began to slowly split apart, until two equal halves of the small car were held in the dark furred vulpine's paws, who smiled before quickly slamming the two hunks of steel together against Fox's body. With no possible way for the two to physically die, the fight was drawn to a stalemate, but the dark one's bloodlust and need for suffering would not allow it to leave this one animal standing before him…


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **_Hey everyone. Wow, one month between updates this is really kicking me in the ass isn't it :P. Anyhow, here's chapter 17, and I really don't see this going past chapter 21 it most likely only has three left. Hope you all have a great day, and thanks for the support..._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox

* * *

  
_

……**Chapter 17……**

**Planet Tjarr**

Mika sat in the pilot seat of a small two-man transport meant to be of personal use of the animal she was replacing. She was at the moment dressed in a light gray short-sleeved tee shirt with a pair of thick jean overalls. She thought for a moment about what she was doing, though it was already far too late for second thoughts. She wondered if this wasn't just some sort of horrible idea. She had no back up, no way of retreating once she was inside the complex…it was do or die from here on out…but she'd already committed to this. If she and the two humans could actually manage to get their friend out of this place perhaps they really could shut down all of the automated Keizers giving the others at the front line a fighting chance. With that being the last thought in the white-furred Minx's head, she took a deep breath as her ship finally passed over Omni's radar perimeter, when a transmission forced it's way onto her PA system…

"Pilot…you are now entering restricted aerospace," the voice said, "What is your name and ID code?"

Mika sighed as she opened the transmission fully. "My name is Terra White, sir. I'm the new mechanic you sent for," she said, "My clearance ID is VX1109 dash 48771."

There was a slight pause. "Ah…" The voice chuckled. "Sorry about the misunderstanding, Sergeant White. Our defenses have been stepped up since all the crap that's been going down around Lylat."

Mika chuckled. "Don't' worry about it. Right now I'm just in a hurry to be on solid ground again."

The one on the other end of the line chuckled. "Can't blame you there ma'am. I can't stand it here on Tjarr, but space is just not for me," the animal said, "Lieutenant Macob will be at the docking station to meet with you and show you around the facility. He's a canine, pretty hard to miss too…he's a big fella, possibly the biggest on the base. He's a nice guy though so you two should get along just fine."

"Thanks…I should be down there soon," Mika said ending the transmission. "Well that went pretty smoothly."

The minx sighed a bit as she reached into her pocket removing a small device that she held on the tip of her finger and slowly slid it into her ear before bracing herself and pressing it down against the wall of her ear canal. She flinched as the device bit down into her flesh to anchor itself down. She then took another moment to wipe away a stray tear from her eye, before holding her paw over her ear…

"You guys hear me?" she asked lightly.

"Yeah we hear ya…" Alex's voice echoed through her head, "Now remember that device is waterproof, but very sensitive to electronic interferences. It's also operating on an incredibly low frequency, which is why you actually have to place it down into your ear canal. You'll be able to hear us, but in some cases you really shouldn't reply. Keep that for when you're in your own quarters."

"Alright…just stay in touch and I'll call in once I'm in whatever quarters they assign me."

There wasn't any more conversation as the minx's small ship broke through the clouds. The planet was something like she'd never seen before; it was nothing but prairies as far as the eye could see. It looked as though the place could be pretty dry at some points of the year. It was as the small ship moved closer to the ground that a small facility began to grow before the minx's eyes…it was unlike any other type of military building that she'd ever seen, as it was actually built across the top of a lake. Several long bridge-like structures seemed to hold it aloft over the surface of the large body of water. From her position the establishment looked a lot like a shamrock, with three complete facilities that were large, perfectly round buildings. It was no trouble finding the docking area, considering the sheer volume of small ships coming in and going out of the far eastern building. The hangar that she slowly pulled her vehicle into was nothing stupendous. She'd seen a thousand hangars just like it before, though this one was slightly larger in comparison to them. It was as she stepped off of the small ship with a suitcase under each arm, another in her right paw, and a tool chest in her left, that she noticed a very large canine standing in the distance, who noticed her and slowly walked in her direction. The minx did the same examining the hangar as she walked…

"Lieutenant Macob?" she asked, "I'd salute, but…my arms are a little full."

The canine smiled. He really did dwarf the young minx, in fact she was quite certain this guy was at least a foot or so taller than Creed, though his build was in no comparison. His fur was black in places, around his face mainly, while his paws, muzzle, and small patches over his eyes were all light brown. His eyes were of a deeper darker brown.

"Don't worry about it…" He chuckled. "We're both off duty. Civilians don't need to use formalities," he said looking her over with a smile, "I must say though, when I heard the new mechanic would be a female, to be honest, I was expecting someone…well…not nearly so attractive."

Mika laughed. "My dear Lieutenant…are you hitting on me? So soon?"

The large canine sighed. "No ma'am, just speaking the truth. Besides that I'm engaged," he pointed out, "Help with your bags?"

Mika looked to herself. "This is a little uncomfortable isn't it?" she said setting down the two under her arms.

The canine reached down taking the two bags and turned around. "Well follow me and I'll show you to your quarters."

Mika was amazed as they entered out into a long stretch of hall big enough to actually accommodate a moderate amount of traffic in both directions. The overhead and walls of the place were all of glass, giving a nice view of the facility from the outside. As they walked her canine escort nudged his head toward a tower up above them…

"That's the residential tower, you'll be staying there," he said, "One of the higher floors. We're packed in pretty tight here so if you're stuck with a roomy and have any problems let me know and I'll see what I can do to make your stay any more comfortable."

"I'll remember that, thank you," Mika replied.

As they walked he looked over his shoulder. "This is the second largest research facility in the entire company. Right now we're housing just about a thousand scientists, and more than ten thousand heads overall. The military unit has another base just a stone's throw from here. You most likely contacted them to get your landing clearance," he said, "The facility is split into three sections, the first tower are the residential tower, where we're going right now, and another is behind us. It houses the hangars and several other facilities up above it. The third is the Research and Development Sector. You'd need a class-three clearance to get into that building. Now apparently they've got you on payroll as a very well trained mechanic, so they've got you in line to deal with the main reactor that powers the complex, as well as the hangar and the back-up generators. Hope you're not too used to getting any sleep. The reactor core's been acting a little crazy lately, it's been straining to maintain power under all the stress it's been put under recently. We've put in requests to have it replaced, but the higher ups haven't passed the vote yet."

It was as he said this that Mika was noticing the abundance of humans that were walking around the place. "There are a lot of humans here, aren't there Lieutenant?"

Macob looked over his shoulder. "Please, when we're off duty, just call me Nathan," he said, "I know what you mean though. I was a little surprised when I got transferred here too…but apparently this facility is older than I am so…I got used to it."

The two finally passed through a large pair of automated doors into a massive room full of busy bodies going this way and that, while others sat at a massive court full of chairs and small tables. It was as they drew near a pair of elevators in the center of the room elevated by a short length of stairs, that Nathan looked to her…

"This is the main food court," he rose his voice above the crowd, "I prefer the one on the twenty-third floor myself, this one's too god-damned noisy."

It was as they stepped onto the elevator that she dug a finger into her ear. "Wow…I could have done without that."

"You and me both," he replied, "46th floor."

At his word the lift instantly began to move, slightly faster than a normal elevator. The glass doors allowed the minx to see that each floor was perfectly built around this central hub. There was a walkway that encircled the elevators, which branched off a lot like a spider web would. This part of the trip so far remained silent. She really didn't mind that much, though she was certain that she reeked of nervous sweat at the moment. Soon however, the elevator ground to a halt allowing the two to step out into the open halls of the forty-sixth floor. A short walk around these walkways brought the two to a single room, where Nathan swiped a card through the small card reader next to the small green palm pad. Suddenly there was a light, monotone voice from a speaker above the scanner…

"Please place palm for initial scanning," it said causing Mika to rest her paw on the green pad, "Please state name and rank."

The Minx sighed. "Terra White, Sergeant first class."

"Palm scan now registered and stored…welcome home, Sergeant."

The tall canine nodded to Mika allowing her to step through the door as it opened and set her things down just inside the room. "Well these are your new quarters," he said, "I don't think you're going to be on call today so just take some time to relax or get to know your new work environment. Your palm scan is registered to the entire system now, so it'll take about an hour to be filtered through and your clearances given. So don't try to go into any restricted areas for about an hour and a half."

Mika chuckled. "No chances there. I've been locked up in that ship for so long…all I want right now is a shower, and some sort of cheeseburger three times the size of my fist."

Nathan chuckled. "If that's the case, meet me on the twenty-third floor in about a half hour."

"I thought you were engaged." The minx chuckled. "Won't the misses be a little…peeved?"

Nathan chuckled. "Not at all, she works at this facility too. I'm fairly certain she'll be there too."

After the animal left, Mika found herself standing alone in a large room. It was like a single bedroom apartment. It had a large living room, making only room in a kitchen for a small fridge, most likely for keeping snacks and a small sink where it was possible to get a drink. This space allowed the living room to be very much increased. There was no real means of a bedroom though, the room she'd thought to be one turned out to be a bathroom that had a rather large shower, and was all done in white tile. She turned back to the room again. It had a large sofa, a smaller recliner, and a bookshelf…

"Funny, where's the bed?" she asked out loud.

There was a sudden affirming beep from overhead and suddenly a small section of the wall folded down into a rather large, soft looking bed…

"TV?" she asked out loud.

Another beep from overhead was followed by another sound, as the wall to her right seemed to fold away revealing a large missing window where a television screen was now sitting. Mika smiled…

"Wow…the Nemesis could really use some digs like this."

"Mika?" a voice suddenly sounded in her head.

The Minx looked about for a bit, before sighing. "Door lock," she called, smiling as another confirming beep sounded, "Yeah guys, I'm in."

"Good…" Alex replied, "And the plan?"

Mika pulled her shirt up over her head, tossing it into a hamper she noticed near the bathroom door, followed by her overalls, before turning her back to a mirror fixed to the bathroom door, where she looked over her shoulder at the scar on her back. "No good for now. We'll have to wait until I can get access to the reactor core. That'll still take a bit more than an hour. Sorry Randy, you're gonna have to wait out there until then."

Randy chuckled through the headset. "Yeah, well just try to make it quick. I've got sand in my ass, and it's hot as hell out here."

Mika chuckled as she walked into the bathroom, removing her bra and panties, depositing them both in the hamper, "Well…I'll get that done as soon as possible. How's your cloaking mask holding out?"

"Well enough…" Randy replied, "It's pretty calm out here though. Not sure if I really needed it…"

Alex chuckled, "Well keep it handy anyhow. Once the core shuts down you'll only have a small window to get onto that base unnoticed," he said, "Plus the indigenous life there's pretty violent."

Randy scoffed. "Oh please. I'm a lot more dangerous than anything I'm gonna find out here."

Mika stepped into the shower, but paused before turning it on. "Randy…what did you say your friend's name was again?"

Randy thought for a moment. "Sasha Mirr. Soon to be Sasha Macob."

Mika chuckled as she turned on the shower. "That's rich. I just met Mister Macob…he's bringing the misses to lunch to meet me."

Alex laughed out loud. "Isn't that something? You didn't even have to go off looking for her."

Mika ran her paws through her hair as the hot water poured down over her. "Well…then I should get this shower over with and make my way to that food court." She chuckled. "You two stay in touch."

"Will do…" Alex replied.

"Just watch yourself in there," Randy added.

"Don't worry about me. Just try not to bake to a crisp out there." The minx chuckled as the voices stopped.

She had to admit that when she was first told about this mission, she wasn't certain that it would all go down as well as it was, but there was still plenty of time for it to all blow up in their faces…

**...Xennass...**

Krystal grew more impatient with every passing hour. It was no easier on Creed actually as he was showing large signs of irritation. He'd not come here to stay in a motel with an impatient vixen hell-bent on freeing her mate from some ungodly form of body snatching. It was as Creed brought the vixen a bit of food he'd picked up from the motel's cafeteria that the cerulean-furred vixen turned an ear to her communicator, as it sounded with an incoming transmission from Silver…

"What is it Silver?" Krystal asked as she happily received the food Creed handed to her.

There was a pause as Krystal could hear him breathing a bit heavily. He really did enjoy flying about the rooftops…

"There is a strange animal up here on the roofs with me…" he replied, "He is wearing a black coat, a large hat, and has this cross shaped mark on his face…"

Krystal thought for a moment. "Silver. Is this animal a wolverine?"

Silver thought for a moment. "Yes…I am pretty sure he is," he responded, "He seems to be watching that lady that you and Creed visited."

Krystal looked to Creed. "Think that's the psycho Mona's friends warned her about?"

Krystal sighed. "Yeah Creed, I'm pretty damn sure. Not a whole lot of animals out there to fit that description. Besides, how often do you see a wolverine outside of Stygian…you know how proud they are," she replied, "Silver stay on him. Don't let him out of your sight, if he makes a move call it in. Don't approach him though, I'm pretty damn certain he's aggressive."

Silver sighed. "No problem. He found a post that he seems to be sticking to at the moment. That Mona person is down on the street. He's watching her like a hawk."

Krystal grimaced at Creed. "Don't let him lay a paw on her, you understand? If he tries anything stupid, just call us and try your hardest to keep him away from her. If she gets hurt you can bet your ass that Dravyn and his friend will take her and we will not see her again. That is if that animal you're watching doesn't kill her."

Silver took a light breath. "I won't let that happen."

Krystal closed the line of communication looking to Creed as she did so. "We don't have anymore time to waste sitting around. I've still got a mental lock on Mona, we should get to her before anything can happen to her."

Creed looked to his food. "Then we should hurry up and move. Just take your food with you."

Silver stood atop a slightly raised roof adjacent from the one his target was perched on. The animal had moved from one roof to another in a very slow manner. He was clearly following Mona…possibly to where her friends were hiding out. The silver-furred vulpine moved with him slowly however, remaining in the shadows where he felt most comfortable. He thought for a moment however as this time, even after Mona was far out of sight down on the streets below, the animal didn't move. He simply stood at the ledge of that building and chuckled…

"You know I have to admit that at first I truly did not notice you there," he said, "You and I are a lot alike. I can sense it in the way you move. Your only place is here in the shadows, just like me. Isn't that right…Thirteen?" he asked.

Silver sighed. "Who are you? How do you know that name?"

The wolverine slowly allowed his wide-brimmed hat to slip to the back of his head, allowing Silver to see his gray fur, as well the large X that crossed between his eyes…

"Most people call me X," he replied, "Others call me Dark Matter. It is not a grand title, but I have grown attached to it over the years…"

Silver paused. "You're not from Omni at all," he said.

Suddenly Krystal's voice came through the communicator he'd left on, "Silver, be careful. If that guy is who he says he is, there's a reason they waited until now to send him…he's a mercenary…a good one."

Silver scowled at the wolverine that stood across from him. "There's something strange about him," he said, "It feels like…I'm getting heavier the longer I'm standing here."

"I can't really say anything about him. He pretty much stays to himself…" Krystal called back, "Just be careful. People with his kind of reputation aren't exactly known for fighting fair."

Silver cut the com link before looking back to the wolverine across from him…the animal slowly rolled his neck resulting in a series of rough pops before reaching into his long coat. He produced several small photos and began to filter through them one by one, until he stopped, holding one up as if to compare its similarities to the animal before him…

"Ah…" He chuckled. "I thought you were one of my marks, I just wasn't certain," he said tossing the photo of Silver to the rooftop at Silver's feet, "I got nothing against you, your friends, or that little bunny in the photo…" he said cracking his knuckles, "But you know how it goes. Business and all."

Silver thought for a moment. "Then maybe we can make a better deal."

X laughed. "You really think I'm that stupid?" he asked. "There's no way you could ever offer me more than Omni. It's a galactic corporation, you are just a bunch of lonely mercs stretching their necks for a star system full of animals that couldn't give two shits whether you live or die."

Silver sighed. "I'm tired of killing people," he said, "All you people ever do is hurt innocents that just want to live their lives. I understand completely why Fox does the things he does. At first it didn't make any sense, but after I met Roxy it all became clear…" he added taking a lowered stance of attack, "People have to be protected from creeps like you."

X chuckled. "Oh that's very noble of you." He smirked. "It's a sad realization that fools like you are a dime a dozen. It's sad really, it would have been nice to bring you in alive. Those morons at Omni promised an extra handsome pay for you alive. Maybe I'll still bring you in alive…but in the end someone is going to have to die for all this trouble I've been caused recently…maybe I'll start with that pink one in the photo…I'm not quite certain."

The wolverine chuckled, as an angered growl rumbled from the vulpine across from him. "Oh, is that it?" He chuckled. "Hmm…strange, the specimen I was after before was apparently supposed to be some sort of cold-blooded killing machine. Then again there's still time for you to show your true colors."

X made a slight motion, causing the sleeves of his coat to split down the center. He rolled his wrists before wriggling his fingers about into fists. He smiled smugly before looking to the vulpine. It almost seemed as if he could see Silver's attack coming as the young fox shot across the area, skidding to a halt as he found his attack meeting nothing but air. He quickly turned with fire in his eyes, only to find that the wolverine was now standing some way behind him with his arms folded across his chest. A smug grin slowly spread across his face. This caused Silver to lunge at the animal again, however, this time the vulpine's attack tore into the thick fabric of the smug animal's coat. As X seemed to come from nowhere a powerful blow struck Silver across the back of his head, causing him to slide into the rooftop before kicking back up onto his feet, watching X like a hawk, who was studying the clawed section of his coat…

"Hmmm…perhaps I'm taking you a little too lightly." He chuckled. "Normally I'd end this here and now, but…you might actually prove a little fun to play with," he said allowing his coat and hat to fall to the rooftop, "It's been a long time since I've actually had a decent fight."

Silver was surprised as he noted the animal's white undershirt, as it was crossed in an X with two bandoliers each of which housed a long line of handle-less throwing knives. He chuckled as he reached behind his back and pulled at the two strings of blades allowing them to fall to the rooftop, followed by two larger throwing knives that he pulled from his boots, which he dropped as well…

"Looks to me like you don't have any weapons…" he said removing a pair of gloves from his pocket and slowly pulling them over his paws, "What kind of fun would this be if I used mine?"

It was almost instantaneous as the wolverine shot across the rooftop at the young vulpine. The attack seemed to come so quickly that Silver barely managed to pull his way under the fist that narrowly missed his head, only to have another drive into his chest, causing him to slide on his back across the rooftop. X was however caught off guard as Silver rolled against the momentum and rushed in on the wolverine. Silver's fist came up with him, driving the wind out of the animal, before his other first slammed into X's chin causing him to stagger back. In an airborne spinning motion Silver's feet struck the wolverine across the top of his head one after the other, and upon landing he continued his spin driving both fists into the animal's chest. X's body instantly shot across the rooftop skidding uncontrollably before his back impacted the barrier of stone that was meant to keep people from accidentally falling off the roof. The stone barrier made a thunderous cracking sound, spilling a mess of the shattered barrier over the edge. To Silver's surprise however, the wolverine made his way to his feet. He ran his fingers over a small stream of blood that flowed down his face with a smile. It was a long time since he'd actually bled…he couldn't really remember the last time he'd actually seen his own blood. With a chuckle the animal shot forward with a speed that belied that of his first attack, seemingly covering the distance between them in the blink of an eye. The first strike of his fist caused Silver's feet to leave the ground for a moment as a spot of blood shot from his mouth. X quickly dropped into a clockwise spin, driving his elbow into the vulpine's side, causing him to double over in pain. Following through, he quickly drove another punch into the fox's chin, causing him to leave the ground completely. Silver let out a cry of pain as another shot was driven into his spine from beneath. He could never remember a moment in which he'd been hit so hard, which nearly rivaled the force of the punch that then met with his abdomen, driving him into the rooftop with a force he'd never felt.

X stood there for a moment watching as Silver clutched his side, writhing in pain. He found it difficult to believe that in such a short amount of time the young fox could have caused him any extent of pain…but he found himself still feeling the staggering effects of the vulpine's brutal assault earlier. Silver found himself in disbelief. The animal's attack was something unlike anything he'd ever felt. He'd taken hits before, more than he cared to remember, but somehow he was certain that every time the wolverine connected a bone was broken. It was as X shook his head and picked up his hat that he turned away, a bit disappointed in what he'd hoped was a decent challenge. However, as he started off, a strong grip clutched down tightly around his ankle. He turned only to find that Silver had a death grip on his leg…

"There's no shame in losing kid." He smiled. "It's better then losing your life, isn't it?" he said reaching down and lifting Silver by the collar of his shirt with little to no problem. "I could always just kill you…but what would that prove? That I'm lousy at my job and that you're dead," he said dropping the fox to the rooftop, "You're not much use to me dead. I'd rather take you in alive."

X could feel the vulpine begin to shake in his grip. It seemed like every muscle on the animal's body was tightening up all at once. Suddenly Silver's eyes shot wide open, showing a crimson glow that seemed to emanate from his now bright red pupils. The wolverine was given no time to react however, as Silver's paws locked around his wrist, twisting his body weight toward the ground, sending X hurling across the rooftop where his body tore through a slightly large metal vent pipe before he slid across the ground. He stood up rather quickly examining where the jagged edges of the vent had torn his coat…

"Boy…" he growled, "You just pushed your luck." He cracked his knuckles dropping his coat and hat. "Nobody fucks with my coat."

X suddenly thrust his arms outward with his palms spread, causing Silver to freeze in place, before turning his palms toward the ground. The motion seemed to cause the young silver furred vulpine to flatten against the roof, where he instantly began pulling himself back to his feet. Again some powerful force pressed down across his back causing him to slam back into the surface of the building's rooftop. This time small fissures spread out from around his body. X suddenly stepped away taking a deep breath, watching as Silver attempted to pull back up off the roof…

"Boy…my daddy gave me that coat." The wolverine huffed. "Only thing that fucker ever gave me out of the kindness of is black fucking heart."

With a sharp motion the wolverine quickly shot around swinging his paw around to one side causing Silver to slide across the rooftop, before flipping upright into a large AC unit, which crumbled under the force of the flying body. He exhaled angrily as he watched Silver fall to the floor, before the young fox's feet managed to keep him upright, if not slightly staggering. Silver glanced at the animal standing before him before dashing toward the edge of the rooftop. Silver leaped to the building across from him, plowing through a window where he rolled into a wall and slowly lost consciousness. X stood at the edge of the building sliding his coat back on while looking down at the beaten animal with a deep sigh of anger before picking up his hat and vanishing from the rooftop…

Krystal and Creed rushed through the streets toward where they were certain Mona was headed, thanks to Silver's detailed information, when the vixen became a bit worried…

"Creed…" she said stopping suddenly in front of the large vulpine, "Something's wrong. I can't feel Silver's thoughts…" she said turning on her communicator, "Silver? Silver, come in. Silver, are you there?" She paused looking to Creed.

"That's never a good sign when it comes to that boy," he said, "You go on ahead. I'll go look for him."

Krystal thought for a moment "How are you going to find him? Knowing Silver he could be anywhere in the city."

It was at that moment that a fire engine screamed by. "Well…twenty to one says if I follow them, I'll find him."

Krystal seemed to concentrate for a moment. "I think you're right. They're responding to a call of someone crashing through a lady's bathroom window while she was taking a bath. He's pretty badly beaten up. I don't like it…I think Silver might have been hurt."

Creed sighed. "Well if that's the case, you be careful. Whoever this guy is, if he can take down Silver, he's no joke."

Krystal sighed patting her old friend on the shoulder. "You be careful too. There's no telling where this guy is. He could still be there," she said, "Just make certain he's alright and then get back here ASAP."

Creed trotted off down the street toward the sirens and lights. "Don't worry about it. I'll be back, just keep your com active so I can follow your location."

Krystal sighed looking to the sky as Creed rushed off. "Why do things always have to be so difficult? For once in my life can't the answers just hit me?"

Suddenly the vixen was nearly taken off her feet by a familiar otter that rushed into her. "Mona?" she asked as she realized who had bumped into her and fallen over.

The young otter girl quickly rushed behind Krystal. "KRYSTAL!" she shouted, "You…you have to help me…" she shouted gasping for air, "This freaky guy he…he…"

"Freak?" an unfamiliar voice asked from the shadows, "That wasn't very nice."

Krystal quickly turned to the shadows, swinging her arm across her chest as if to throw something, her action sending a large dumpster soaring across the street where it tumbled into an open alleyway. There was a light chuckle, as an unfamiliar, black clad character seemed to appear from behind them. He'd clearly used the ruckus caused by the dumpster to get behind them…

"Now…" he said rolling his neck and removing his hat, allowing Krystal to see the light gray fur of the wolverine's face, "You can call me X…and I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask you to hand over your little friend there."

Krystal's paws seemed to burst almost instantly into blue flames. "And I'm afraid you can go fuck yourself," she replied, "Mona, get somewhere safe. This guy's not playing around. I'm not the only one with a gift here."

Krystal stood by as the wolverine simply sighed. He'd wanted this to go a lot smoother than it was going, however, the more trouble these animals caused him, the more money he could charge for what it was he was doing when he finally had Dravyn, his friend, and the sword. However, for Krystal this animal was just an obstacle, one that stood between her and Fox McCloud. X knew plenty about the animal across from him, how quickly her popularity in the world of bounty hunting rose, and the kinds of things she was capable of. Unlike his bout with Silver, this was not a time he could simply play any games…because like all others from his profession, he was well aware that to toy with Kursed, was to toy with death herself. A small part of him wanted this to happen, to test himself. If he could take her down, he would do what no other bounty hunter was ever capable of, taking down the greatest bounty hunter that the Trinity Accord has ever known…


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:**_ Hey there everyone. I'm happy to have chapter 18 up...if you notice any mistakes that's because it hasn't been edited_; _but, on a separate note, this story is about to boil to a head, which means it only has a good two...maybe three chapters left. I really enjoyed this one so...enjoy the chapter and have a good one all...C'ya next update..._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox

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**Chapter 18…...**

**...Planet Tjarr…...**

Mika found it still hard to believe that the facility was so much more advanced than she'd possibly imagined; then again this company was nothing but tech pirates. The idea that they were only trying to bleed Lylat of all it's technology before leaving it for dead was a thought that made her blood boil. It was strange though, the humans that she ran into on the base were all very calm, and mild mannered; nothing like the bloodthirsty creatures she'd been told stories about when she was very little, like just about every other kid in Lylat. She wondered why it was that Lylat had drawn to the conclusion that their species no longer existed…after all there were several running with the remains of Fox's old team now and hundreds here. With a sigh, the Minx shifted her thoughts as she rode the elevator to the twenty-third floor, taking a moment to look over her suit. She wondered if it was appropriate; it was her average casual wear, just a gray tank top with a pair of slightly tight fitting blue jeans. Shrugging off the notion Mika finally stepped out of the elevator, where her senses were overrun by a barrage of smells; there was a mess of food here.

The room was much smaller than the one in the lobby of the building; it was probably the equivalent to the one on the Nemesis, large enough for a number of people, but, not to the point where it became an utter nuisance. It was littered with different animals and humans, all sitting at small tables strewn about the large room, the windows of the place allowed Tjarr's abundance of light to filter into the room. She had to admit that she found it strange that she tried to spot Randy, though from this height and distance with was an impossibility with her eyes, which suddenly shifted to what appeared to be a buffet line that trailed down both sides of the room. Every so often a person wearing cook's clothing would come out carrying hot trays of food which he'd replace with empty one's that were sitting on the stands. As her attention was pinned to the idea of so much hot food, plenty of dishes that she may have never tried or would have the opportunity to try again; a paw suddenly rested on her shoulder. Mika instantly turned, and her fist returned to her with aching knuckles as a large canine behind her stumbled to his left holding his jaw before attempting to catch his balance, however he suddenly fell forward causing Mika to catch him…

"Holy shit!" She half shouted, "Nathan I'm sorry you startled me."

Nathan took a moment before standing up still a bit rubber legged, while shaking his head, "Fuck. Was that your fist or wrench?"

Mika chuckled, "I really as very sorry."

"Don't worry about it…" The canine replied rubbing his face, "…no offense but you punch like a man."

"Yeah I get that a lot." Mika replied, "So where's the misses?"

Nathan chuckled, "Over there…" He replied pointing to a far off table, however, with all the commotion in the small area she couldn't really tell which table he was pointing at.

Nathan led Mika to the buffet area both of them taking a tray and loading it down with whatever seemed to suit them at the moment, before heading off into the throng of hungry people. Mika wasn't sure what to think when they finally found a table where a slender young human woman sat; she had long black hair, and soft light colored skin, her eyes were a very light green color, and she was wearing a long white lab coat. Mika simply stood there as Nathan seated himself next to her, a bit stunned…

"Hello…" Nathan called, "…you gonna sit down or what?"

Mika finally shook her mind clean, "Oh yeah sorry I just…" She paused as she sat down, "…you're a…"

"Human?" Shasha asked.

"I was gonna say scientist." Mika replied.

"Of course you were." The woman laughed, "Trust me you're not the first person to have that reaction to this." She sighed, "But that's not important right now is it?" She asked sliding the pale Minx a small laser disk, "Instructions are on the disk. Play it when you get back to your quarters."

Mika took the disk only to have the woman nod to her, "Oh right…" She said placing it in her pocket, "So…you actually used to know that stubborn jerk?" She smiled well aware that Randy was fully capable of hearing her.

Sasha chuckled, "Sounds like you know him too. One of my closest friends."

Nathan chuckled looking to the human, "It was thanks to him that I even met Sasha in the first place." He said, "He was trying to get out of here and ended up knocking me out. When I came to, Sasha was trying to wake me up." He chuckled, "She was the first thing I saw when I woke up."

Mika scoffed, "Doesn't sound like his style to just knock someone out." She said looking around deciding the changing the subject was in their best interest, "So does this happen often?" She asked pointing her fork between the two of them.

Sasha thought for a moment, "Oh…you mean our relationship." She said, "It's not common if that's what you mean."

"It was frowned on at first but, we're both pretty high up on the food chain here…" Nathan smiled, "…so most crude comments are kept to the people that have them."

Mika looked around for a moment before leaning in, "Is this why you two are with Omni?"

Sasha sighed, "What? No…" She chuckled, "…believe it or not Ra…" She stopped herself from saying his name, "…you know who set me up with this job. I guess you could pretty much assume why."

As the three talked they ate their meals until they were all in the elevator again; and the two led Mika to her quarters. Where Nathan nodded to Sasha before heading back to the elevator, leaving the two ladies alone…

"Listen…" Sasha said, "…I know you can hear me." She said clearly not referring to Mika, "I heard about what happened with Victor…the explanation is on the disk I gave you…you all be careful." She said looking to Mika, "You should have clearance for the reactor core now. If your plan's gonna go through, you'd better do it tonight before lights out."

Mika smiled, "Thanks Sasha. I think you should head back to your job now though."

Sasha didn't say anything else, she simply boarded the elevator and headed back to work. In the meanwhile Mika entered her room, and placed the laser disk that she'd been given into the small player her room's television had with it and waited for it to start. When it did she found that it was of course a shot of Sasha that began to speak…

"Listen closely…Omni does have your friend here but it's not what you think." She quickly said, "But, knowing you you're going in after him regardless; so if that's the case, the only undetectable way to the research area, is through the waste disposal area. It's activated every day twice a day, once at four in the morning and again at four in the afternoon. Your methods will have to be your own." She paused, "That's not the biggest problem though…the reason Victor was so strong when you two fought before, was the fact that he's loaded down with some sort of modified nanites. Whatever it is you decide to do just be careful, and please don't do anything too stupid."

It was as the image faded to a black screed that a voice rung in Mika's ear, "Mods…I should have known the bastard would never train that hard."

"Randy? What are you talking about?" Mika asked.

Alex quickly answered, "The thing that Jeff used on Creed…the Mods. They can also be used to enhance your own physical properties…sort of like a much more effective type of steroids. Could explain why Victor was able to beat Randy for the first time in his life." He sighed, "Fucker's specialty is usually tucking tail and running away. He's never been able to handle Randy, I haven't met a man that could."

Randy sighed over the communicator, "There was one man that could…and that piece of crap killed him in his sleep."

Mika thought for a moment as she sat down, "Well…I'm headed to the reactor core right now. So once outside security goes offline there's a sewage drain that leads out to the outskirts of the compound, I'll send you the coordinates right now."

Outside the facility, Randy lay in wait under a raised rock formation slightly in the distance of the large structure; his mind was swimming with a myriad of thoughts and scenarios. He wondered if getting Mika involved in all of this was right; not only was he putting her in danger he was also risking exposing Sasha and Nathan whom would both be interrogated and eventually executed. He'd lost track of the hours he'd spent out in the heat, the lunar cycle of Stygian, as he'd discovered was not the easiest to follow; though he knew it was night time, the land here was still fresh and bright in the day. He looked to a small vial that lay in his hand, it was a last resort, he only hoped it was a resort that he'd never have to rely on. It seemed like a number of hours there before a voice finally came through his communicator…

"Alright…you've got about fifteen minutes before they manage to get anything fixed." Mika's voice rang in his ear, "I'm helping so I may be able to stall them for a bit longer just go."

"I'll see you inside then…" The human replied heading out, "…and Mika…good luck."

**...Xenass Space colony…...**

Krystal stood her ground with an extended paw as a flying Dumpster smashed into an invisible barrier erected in front of her body, causing the metal receptacle to contort under the pressure of colliding with Krystal's barrier at a high speed. With a wave of her paw however the mangled metal object shot back at the gray furred wolverine causing him to leap over it in an astonishingly high jump. As he landed however, a nearby manhole cover flipped from it's place in the ground and soared at the vixen like a discus; not having time to react normally the vixen leaped to the side, causing the speeding object to ricochet off the asphalt, before plowing into the front end of a nearby vehicle, lodging itself halfway into the found end. She'd analyzed his attacks, his motions, and his thoughts. Whatever he was doing it was not Telekinesis, it was far more powerful, he also seemed to be missing the ability to erect telekinetic barriers as she could. X simply stood there this time cracking and rolling his neck…

"Well this appears to be a stale mate of some sort wouldn't you say?" He chuckled.

"Not quite…" Krystal growled in reply.

As X looked on the vixen's eyes closed for a second before the shot open, they were now nothing more than bright blue glowing orbs. She quickly reached out with one paw causing X's body to seize up; he then shot into the air before being driven into the asphalt street where he lay helpless. Krystal then reached out both paws to either side slowly bringing them together clearly with some difficulty. As the space between her paws grew more and more narrow however, the area began to quake. Sweat beaded across the vixen's forehead as she was clearly exerting herself; and as X finally managed to stand, the tall building to either side of him collapsed in toward the street raining steel and stone down around the wolverine's head, who quickly vanished beneath the rubble. Krystal quickly bent forward resting her paws on her knees as she panted heavily. She couldn't remember the last time she'd exerted so much energy in one fight. Then again this was hardly a normal adversary. As she took a much needed breath, the vixen's ears twitched turning toward the rubble. A single loose pile of stone tumbled from the mountain of debris causing her to look on questioningly. Suddenly there was a loud rumble of the shifting materials before it all seemed to slowly loose it's hold on gravity, all floating upward until X could be seen standing there. Everything around his body seemed to loose it's weight, vehicles, the debris, random fallen objects…anything loose seemed to float up around his body. A thick trail of blood ran down the side of his head. He chuckled as his tongue slid over the trail of blood that had reached his cheek…

"Funny…I've never been hit by a building before." He smiled, "tell me. You can dish it out, but, can you take it?"

In an instant the debris seemed to shoot at Krystal piece by piece; the cerulean furred vixen managed to raise a shield just before impact, causing the chunks of stone and steel to collide with a near impregnable force. It was as the dust cleared from the rapid assault of flying debris that the vixen shot from the settling dust; X was taken aback, he'd not expected her to attack him head on like this, but, considering where they stood on abilities alone they could have been stuck in that stale mate for what could have been days. It was as the vixen finally reached him that X leaped over her, only to feel something tug him to the ground; he suddenly realized that she was using her telekinesis at close quarters hindering his ability to dodge her attack. This hit at about the same time as the vixen's first kick, which felt as though it had crushed his insides as her foot slammed into his gut. The impact caused the animal to slide back on his heels, before the vixen's fist met with his jaw. Her fists slammed into his face a number of times before she twisted about driving both fists into his chest; the strange punch seemed to be driven by a force that surprised X greatly pulling him off the ground an a ways away…however, it seemed that as soon as he went airborne that an invisible force pulled him back toward the vixen, flipping him to face forward, where Krystal drove her knees into his face resulting in the both of them doing a perfect backflip. As Krystal landed on her feet ready to attack again, X fell to his chest with a painful thud. He slowly pushed himself up to his paws and knees, before spitting out a spot of blood where a small white object fell; he explored his mouth with his tongue. He smiled as he felt that several of his teeth were either broken or missing outright. He slowly looked to the vixen; his face was a bloody mess, but despite the beating he still smiled…

"Oh…" He chuckled, "…I think I'm in love."

Krystal's face instantly coiled into a hate filled snarl as she pulled her paw toward her chest; the gesture causing X to slide across the asphalt on his chest at a high speed before a spinning kick from the vixen collided with the side of his face, causing his body to roll toward the sidewalk where he collided with a large blue mail box. She stood there for another moment breathing heavily. She huffed at the animal that lay there before noticing that he was still moving, and slowly pushed up off his chest again…this time breathing rather heavily. He looked to the vixen with a smile, even through a half shut right eye. Suddenly something caused Krystal to erect another barrier; this happened just in time to allow the area around her to suddenly sink as a force both unseen, and insanely powerful forced her to her knees. X finally stood up before smiling…

"That's only fifteen times this planet's gravity." He said spitting out a small pool of blood, "Let's try twenty times."

In an instant, the asphalt around the vixen cracked more, and the pressure that forced down on her shield caused her to cry out in pain…

"You really are something you know that?" X asked working his jaw with his paw for a moment, "I've been in this business for over twenty years, and that's only the second time anyone's ever actually hit me like that. Then again you are Kursed, I would have been disappointed if you hadn't at least did something." He chuckled as he noticed the vixen's sneer at him, "I suppose I should have told you…aside from the ability that you find yourself under right now, I don't feel pain. You either kill me, or I kill you." He popped his neck, "Thirty times!" He shouted cheerfully.

This time the asphalt cracked again, and Krystal screamed out loud in pain as blood began to drip from her nose…

"You are much stronger than I gave you credit for."

As he chuckled Krystal could feel her arms and legs shaking under the force of the increased gravity on her shield. If she lost consciousness or her shield fell it'd clearly crush her. X smiled at her again as he took a few steps closer…

Krystal quickly looked up meeting X's gaze. The animal instantly stumbled back holding his eyes…

"MY EYES!" He screamed, "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO!"

As the wolverine staggered back tripping over several objects, Krystal found a black furred fox standing over her with the same red headed otter girl that had been with her…

"Come on…get up." Mona called as Dravyn helped the vixen to her feet, "What the hell is his problem?" She asked looking to X, "I didn't see you do anything to him."

Krystal leaned on the dark fox's shoulder, "It's hypnosis just get us the hell out of here before he comes to, it'll only last another minute at the most. Do you still have the sword?"

"Yeah…" Dravyn replied, "…I don't want any part of it. So get us out of here and you can keep the god damned thing." He said as the walked.

Luckily as they made their way down the street, Creed rushed up on the four ready to defend his friend…

"Creed calm down…" Krystal said grimacing as she did, "…they're with me. Just get us to the ship…quick."

Luckily the five of them made it to the ship that waited for Krystal and Creed, where Silver was waiting for them. He was still heavily injured but, not so much that it had haltered him from escaping from the hospital where they were attempting to keep him. Krystal was both happy, and a bit angry; happy that she now had the tool of Fox's liberation, but so angry at that prick X, and his damned smiling face. It was as she lay there in a small bed, far to worn out to heal her injuries, that she looked out the window…her next stop would be a safe place to release the three she'd picked up, then back to that moon where Fox waited. She simply prayed that everything else was going according to plan…

**…...The Primrose, Cornerian Battle Cruiser 35th fleet…...**

Vanity slowly stepped out of her shower; her mind was set back to the test of the new weapon, the Radiant Wave Cannon, which was geared to her personal Keizer. The wave of bright red lightning looked much different than the small purple balls of energy produced by a plasma cannon; this new weapon's impact on a dummy ship seemed to boil the small spacecraft from the inside causing it to eventually explode. It was a weapon unlike any other she had ever actually seen. It was as she stood there looking into the mirror that she wondered to herself, she wondered whether or not this plan was actually going to pan out. It was as she walked out into her room, looking through her things for a fresh bra that the door to her room caused her to turn around, only to see Bill's face instantly turn a very deep red before he turned away…

"Oh god…" He said, "…I am so sorry."

Vanity chuckled, "Good to see you haven't changed much Bill." She said, "Come on in. I know you better than that, they're covered."

"You know traditionally when a lady's in the shower, she tends to lock her door." The canine said.

Vanity chuckled as she slid into a pair of slightly tight fitting white jeans, "Good thing I'm not a lady then huh? I'm a General there's a difference." She sighed as she pulled a light gray tank top over her head, "Bill…do you think. We stand the slightest chance against Omni? I mean they have so many soldiers…"

"It does seem hopeless doesn't it?" Bill replied as he made his way to the window in her room while she sat on the foot of her bed, "but, after seeing what that new ship of yours is capable of. It was a lot like seeing Fox the first time he tested the first Arwings with his old flame. It was almost like flying was in his blood, ingrained in his DNA or something, everybody claimed that it was the new ship that was so amazing, but, in all my years, I've never seen anyone pilot a fighter like him." He said, "But that Kaizer thing. Seeing Fox in one of those things would outright scare the hell outta me."

Vanity sighed as she fell back onto the bed, "It was such a rush being able to pilot a fighter again after all these years. This General business never really was for me. Being a person of power was never where I wanted to go with my life."

"Didn't you want to be a bounty hunter or something like that?" Bill asked.

The feline smiled, "Something like that." She chuckled, "So…did you need something? Or was this a social visit?"

Bill laughed, "We just got word from Krystal, she said; they've got it and they'll be with us as soon as they can get to us."

"We'll reach the strike point in another few hours won't we?" Vanity asked, "I'm a little nervous to be honest. I haven't been in an actual dogfight in almost a decade; and now I have hundreds of lives depending on me not to fuck up."

Bill lay a paw on the feline's shoulder, "Yeah, well. If it's any consolation…I'll follow whatever you say until either we're dead or they are."

Vanity sat up looking up to the canine as he walked around a bit, "Bill, why do you keep fighting they way you do? You turned on Corneria, and came back…but, why?"

Bill chuckled running his paw over a small mirror's surface, "Why do you think I'd do something so desperate?" He asked, "My wife and unborn son were both dying. If I had to I'd gladly die to let them both live, and if it still has to come down to that. Then that's just the way it has to be."

Vanity sighed, "I wish I had something like that. Something that I'd stake my life on…but, all I have is a title. Most of the guys I meet are all jerks."

Bill laughed, "Yeah you always did attract a lot of assholes."

The feline sighed, "Yep. And you were always nearby to scare 'em away."

"Hopefully soon enough you'll find someone that I won't have to scare away." He said, "But for now. I think we need to get to the docking bay and get ready. We could be attacked at any time."

Vanity slowly got on her boots and headed out of the room with Bill, hopefully toward the docking bay of the ship. She hoped that there wouldn't be any kind of fighting yet but, there was no way of telling, she could only hope that the rest of the plan would soon fall through…but, that part was fully up to Krystal…


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:**_ Hey there everyone. Looks like this whole thing is drawing to a close. Thanks for all the support and help. You guys are beautiful. Hope you enjoy the chapter half as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you all and I'll have chapter 20 done soon enough. ^_^_

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox

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**…...****Chapter 19...…**

Mika sighed as she finally stepped into her room, removing the tank top she wore. She had no idea that it would be nearly as hot as it had been repairing the reactor core. She was lucky that Alex had taught her such amusing little tricks like the one she'd used to shut the core offline. It was quickly fixed, but lasted long enough to allow Randy to get into the ventilation system through the complex's waste management center. She rubbed the back of her neck before walking toward the bathroom. She was sweaty and in dire need of a shower. It angered her slightly that she'd already taken a shower just a few hours ago, and was already being forced to do so again; but the spots of grease that streaked her porcelain white fur was far too much for her to bear. She was always known by Jared and her other friends to have always taken care of her fur and hair. She often claimed that it was the most feminine things she actually did.

Soon enough the room was full of steam and she happily stepped out of the shower. She used a blow dryer to dry her fur and hair, as towels had a habit of building static and that would simply ruin anything she'd have tried to do with her hair or fur at that point. Once she was thusly dry, the young minx wrapped her towel about her chest allowing it to hang down covering her body, tucking one end into the other so that it would hold itself up. She exhaled running a brush through her hair as she stepped out of the bathroom, taking the moment to step over toward the small space in the wall near the shelves that held her clean clothing. She filtered through her clothes for a moment, selecting a pair of loose-fitting shorts that she'd found rather comfortable, and a blue tee shirt, tossing them both to her bed before going back for her undergarments. Mika's ears suddenly perked up causing her to turn quickly, only to realize that there was nothing there. She turned with a sigh…

"I'm getting a little too paranoid." She chuckled to herself, leaving her towel on while she slipped into a pair of black, lace panties.

She looked over her shoulder again before releasing her towel and quickly put on the bra that matched what she was already wearing. Suddenly she felt the cold touch of steel across her throat. She hadn't even seen or heard the person come in. She felt the person touch her shoulder and closed her eyes…

"You know…" Randy's voice whispered in her ear, "You shouldn't leave this sitting around."

The minx opened her eyes and looked down only to notice that the hand holding the small knife to her neck was human, and it was holding the kodachi that he'd given her. Mika let out a relived sigh, and before the human could make a motion, the pale-furred minx managed to slip under the arm that held the weapon swinging about and pinning him to the nearby wall with her claws pricking at his neck. She squeezed very gently…

"You scare me like that again…" she warned him, "And I'll show you that I know how to use my claws a lot better than you may think."

Randy chuckled. "At least you know to aim for the Carotid Artery." As he smiled, Mika noticed the small blade brush against her ribs. "Just make sure when you're attacking, or threatening someone, that you don't get yourself killed."

Mika backed away before moving to her bed and getting dressed. "I saved some food for you. It's in the little beverage fridge under the nightstand on the left side of the bed," she pointed out, "I thought that you might be hungry after sitting out there in the heat all day. I'll be able to get you into the research area tomorrow. You don't need to worry about being watched in here either. Apparently Omni's pretty damned sure of themselves. The halls of this place are scouted, but other than that they don't have any cameras or anything in the rooms." She sighed as the human simply went about searching the room anyhow. "Sasha already searched the room."

Randy lifted a small painting that hung from the wall. "I'm sure she did," he said, "But if I've ever learned anything in my entire life, it's that a friend can become an enemy at the must unexpected moment. The only person you can really trust in the end…is yourself."

Mika looked to the dagger that Randy had discarded onto her bed. "What about me? And your friends? Alex, Jeff, Nick?"

Randy paused. "When you've been through situations like mine, and lived in my shoes…"

"All people aren't that horrible, you know. Not everyone is going to turn on you."

Randy lowered his head, shaking it lightly as he approached the small window that looked out over the nighttime landscape. "But anyone can given the proper motive," he said retrieving the food she'd informed him about and finding a place to sit in a small chair with his back to her as he looked out the window…

Mika sighed as she found a place to sit on her bed, only to have her ear perk up. "I trust you…"

The minx looked over to the human in a bit of disbelief. "What?"

The man took another bite of his food. "What?"

"Hmm…nothing. I…must be hearing things."

As the two sat there, they waited. Randy's eyes never appeared to leave the window that looked out over the slightly illuminated landscape, while Mika simply lay there in bed, watching a local news station. Of course there was nothing listed about the uprising, or how the fight was going back on Corneria, considering she was in an Omni compound, and chances were they owned the news stations just like they owned just about everything else. She sighed a bit as the hours passing seemed to slow to a crawl. Waiting for the opportunity to make their move would be one of the harder things that they'd have to do here, though her human companion appeared to have no trouble simply sitting there. It wasn't until she heard a slight sound coming from him that the pale Minx slowly walked toward the chair he sat in. She found him with his head lolled forward, his chin rested against his chest and his breathing slowed to a sleeping pace. Caught between his thumb and forefinger, the human held a small tattered and torn photo…it was so worn out and smudged however, that she couldn't really make out what used to be on it. Suddenly Randy's eyes shot open and he jolted forward…his breathing instantly grew panicked, as if he wasn't used to falling asleep at all. He slowly placed the photo in his pocket as the minx sat back on the edge of the bed…

"You always panic when you wake up like that?" Mika asked.

Randy sighed as he stood up stretching his back. "Better than waking up dead."

"Hmmm…" Mika mused, "Can't argue with that. Listen, if you want to use the bed I can sleep on the floor."

The human sighed. "No go ahead. You're gonna need your sleep," he replied, "I'll just sit here. If I fall asleep again, I'll just sleep here."

Mika slowly laid down not bothering to draw the covers over herself. "You sure?" she asked. "This is a pretty big bed. There's more than enough room." She chuckled. "I don't mind as long as you can keep your paws to yourself."

Randy chuckled. "No, but thanks."

The time passed as slowly as it had before, but now Mika found herself slowly slipping to sleep. The bed here was much more comfortable than others she'd slept in…and though she hated admitting it, she had little to no trouble sleeping through the night. She found that there was no need for an alarm of any kind, as the entire base's PA system was set to a specific time, and a light melody from the speakers woke her early in the morning. Looking out the window she noticed that it was still dark, but very early in the morning. It was as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes that she noticed she was alone. Mika quickly shot upright and scoured the room, before moving to the bathroom, hoping that the human that had been in her room before was somewhere in the room still, but there was nothing inside. She quickly reached her paw to her ear…

"Alex we have a problem…"

"You're telling me…" Alex's voice replied, "That stupid fuck turned his communicator off about three hours ago. I've been trying to contact you, but you were out cold."

Mika sighed. "Yeah, you really do have to shake me to wake me up," she replied, "Where did he go?"

Alex sighed. "Where do you think the stupid fuck went?"

Mika thought for a moment. "Well…he's clearly looked over the map of the complex enough to know where things are. I doubt he attacked anyone by now, or they'd already have an alarm or something going off."

"Don't underestimate him Mika," Alex remarked, "If he wants you dead without being noticed, it'd take hours before they noticed anyone was missing."

Mika growled to herself. "That stupid bastard. He's gonna get himself killed," she half shouted reaching for a more local communicator, punching in Sasha's com number.

After a short wait the line went through. "AHHHH…" a familiar voice shouted before giggling, "Nathan, knock it off. We're gonna be late to the docking bay. Put your hormones in check for five minutes…"

"Um, did I call at a bad time?" Mika asked.

"Oh, Mika. Hi…" Sasha's voice rang with surprise, "What's going on? We were just about to blow outta this place."

Mika sighed. "Well you'd better get going soon. That moron took off this morning. I'm not sure but I think he's in the vent shafts. He's been like this all night."

Sasha sighed. "I was hoping he would do this. He knows that Victor's here. He's probably looking for him right now."

"Where can I find Victor?"

Sasha thought for a moment. "He mainly stays to the research center. He always figured that if there ever were an attack on this place it would happen there. Hang on right where you are and I'll take you there before our flight takes off. I'll have Nathan stall the flight."

"How did you manage to get the both of you transferred so quickly?"

Sasha laughed. "Nathan you're an animal. Back off."

Mika shook her head. "Well…we both put in for a transfer a long time ago. It got passed last week," Nathan replied.

"Well hurry up then," Mika replied, "I'm worried. Last time Randy started a fight with Victor, it didn't turn out so great for Randy."

"Yeah I heard," Sasha said, "Nathan, get some clothes on and get going. I'm serious, if we miss that flight this is pretty much gonna be the last time you see me naked for a long time."

Mika chuckled. "I'll see you in a few minutes. Meet me on the elevator."

It took no time at all for Mika to get dressed in the uniform she'd been provided – a blue pair of coveralls that housed an Omni logo over her left breast, and a heavy belt full of random tools that she'd eventually need here. Sasha met her on the elevator; in fact she was waiting there aboard the lift as the Minx stepped into the metal box. There wasn't much said. Actually, the two had little to do. All Mika needed was for Sasha to find Victor for her and set up a false job for her somewhere in the vicinity. It was as they approached the door that lead to the research center…

As the two walked inside, they were approached by an unfamiliar light gray and white-furred skunk. "Oh…great Sasha. I was just on my way to say good bye," she said in a cheery voice.

Sasha sighed. "Hi Chloe. It's gonna be sad leaving after all this time. Especially leaving you here."

"You know it's amazing…" the skunk said, "You always seem to know when there's a problem around here. You even brought the new mechanic with you," she said looking Mika up and down, "Hey…you're…kinda cute."

Mika chuckled nervously for a moment looking to Sasha. "She's got a slight problem," the human woman replied, "Hypersexuality…she'll hit on anyone…"

"Hey!" Chloe detested with her fists on her sides, "I have standards you know."

Sasha sighed. "Well…almost anyone. She got particular eyes for pretty, athletic girls."

Mika looked about for a moment. She wasn't certain about what was happening. "Umm…thanks?" she said uncertain of whether to take Chloe's forwardness as a compliment or not, "Is she always this forward?"

Chloe chuckled. "I am really sorry…I didn't mean to offend you or anything," she said, "Um, listen there's a problem with some of the electrical systems up on the fifteenth floor. Apparently there's also something wrong with the upstairs vents on the twenty-first floor. It's like they're plugged up or something, but there isn't really anyone that can actually maneuver well through there."

Mika sighed, and Sasha looked to Chloe. "Listen Chloe…um, have you seen Victor today."

The skunk shuttered. "Thank god no. That guy gives me the creeps. I did hear some others saying that he's somewhere up there waiting for the mechanic now though."

Mika sighed. "Twenty first floor right?"

"Yep…" Chloe replied with a smile.

As Mika walked toward the elevator she'd once taken to get to the reactor core, Sasha took Chloe by the paw. "Come on, we need to talk."

Mika didn't waste any time getting upstairs. Her plan had always been to activate some sort of initial evacuation warning before setting the place to blow. She had already been over it with Alex. The small device that she installed causing the reactor core to shut down temporarily was just a small step in their plan. When given the proper command the device would cause the entire core to overload, purposely shorting out several vital relays in the reactor system.

Mika finally stepped out onto the fifteenth floor. The place was almost all darkness, and there was a small place a short ways ahead where there were several flashlights inspecting a small portion of the vents, while more were examining an area that was removed from the ceiling, with a mess of wires hanging down. As she waited for a moment thinking about what to do, she found a single human waving her over toward the vents. She quickly rushed over…

"You…" he said looking her over with a flashlight, "What do you know about ventilation systems?"

"Enough to fix a minor problem," Mika replied, dropping her tools, "What's going on?"

The human was not familiar at first until she saw the light hit his face. It was Victor. "Well step on up here we'll boost you into the vents."

The minx quickly stepped off of two of their backs. It took her a moment to get into the vent, but once she was inside she found it quite easy to move around. She reached back receiving a small flashlight from one of the men behind her…

"Hey…the blockage is about five or so meters ahead."

Mika moved along, not liking the idea that she could clearly feel their eyes on her backside. She was a bit flattered, but at the same time a little disgusted. It took only a few minutes to find her way into the vents where she finally found something. Mika pulled at a small mess of sabotaged wires. She sighed heavily…

"You know you could have done a slightly more convincing job," she whispered.

Suddenly there was a scream from the other room, and the minx rolled her eyes with a sigh. She knew he was going to do something stupid. Mika quickly turned around and rushed back through the ducts only to spill out onto the floor, as there was nothing there to catch her, only a puddle of blood, and a few mangled corpses. Mika looked up only to see a badger standing over her with a blaster aimed at her face. Suddenly however, a small spinning object shot by causing the side of the animal's neck to burst, spraying her in blood. Before she could realize what was happening, Randy shot across the room, smashing through a wooden desk and sliding across the floor before shooting forward back at the man that stood at the other end of the room. Randy ducked under an attack from the man's sword and quickly dove forward, driving himself and Victor through a door and out into a stairwell. Mika followed after only to find Randy rushing downstairs after Victor, who apparently retreated down the corridor of stairs. She simply rushed on. Randy had already lost to this man once…there was a chance he'd need help…

Randy rushed down the stairs after Victor. The coward had fled as soon as the situation began to play against him. He was so close however; it would only take a little more time. His lungs burned as the coward rushed down the stairs. Finally Randy looked over the rails of the stairs. They ran along the walls of the building leaving an open spot in the center of the room. Finally he sheathed his sword and leaped over the rail still hanging onto rail before leaping diagonally downward to the next closest rail, then back in the other direction, each time skipping a full floor on his way down. Finally as Victor rounded the corner of the final stretch of stairs, he was greeted by his old friend standing there with his weapon drawn and ready. Before Randy could realize what was happening, a small object shot from Victor's sleeve, appearing as a small pistol in his hand, however, as he fired there was a loud metal-on-metal chime. It had almost appeared as though Randy had not moved at all, but his blade now rested in the very spot the bullet had intended to strike. With a growl of frustration, Victor aimed and fired again…but with a light flick of his wrist, Randy's blade came to rest in front of the bullet's trajectory. This time Victor was certain of what he'd just seen as the bullet struck the walls in two small places just behind Randy, showing that the swordsman had cleanly split the projectile. This time Randy gave Victor no time to fire again. As soon as he noticed Victor's curious expression, he jolted forward swiping his katana, knocking the pistol from Victor's hand. Slapping the blade away with his own however, Victor delivered a furious kick that sent Randy soaring back down the stairs where his body impacted the heavy metal door behind him, smashing through it and rolling the human across a hard metal floor. Victor then looked to the hand that had held his pistol only to notice one thing was missing…his finger.

As his blood came to a boil, Victor rushed into the room after Randy, his strikes with his weapon coming down hard and without remorse. The large lab was a strange place, but there was at least a bit of lighting to see by. Finally one of Victor's strikes fell only to be deflected by Randy's weapon, driving its razor edge through a computer, desk, and chair, rending the three in twain. Randy swiped his weapon at Victor, glancing the tip of his blade across the man's face, slashing open his left cheek. His attack was retaliated however, as Victor drove his fist into Randy's side causing Randy to lose his wind, before Victor's knee drove him to the ground and a short distance away. Randy rushed back in as if he'd never fallen down. The clash of their weapons was strong, Victor barely finding time to block the overhand strike, only to drive his blade down to defend against a spinning slash aimed at his knees. Another stroke of Randy's blade rained down on Victor, however this strike was caught against Victor's sword, and the two men did not bother deflecting the attack. Instead their blades hissed and growled in an angry screech of steel rubbing against steel as the two fought for leverage. Finally however, as the two pulled in close to one another, they reached to each other's weapon, grasping the handle and at the same moment, their weapons were both sent flipping through the air…

Victor chuckled. "Hah…hand to hand. Not your strong suit."

Before he could fully finish his sentence, Randy rushed forward, clutching him by the collar of his shirt while driving his shoulder into Victor's ribs. It was in that instant that Victor found himself flying into the air, before he crashed down onto a nearby desk. As soon as Victor jumped up he rushed back at Randy, but a sharp kick to Victor's knee caused him to stumble forward before Randy dropped back driving both feet into his old friend's face. Victor grunted in pain as he hit the floor, skipping and rolling across the ground before finally rolling onto his feet again, spitting out a small puddle of blood…

"So you really have learned something new."

This time as Randy rushed in, he was met by a small computer monitor that was kicked up into his face. It seemed almost instantaneous when Victor's fist crashed into Randy's ribs, sending him several feet off the ground, before he reached out taking Randy by the leg and whipping him into a nearby wall. Randy's sight instantly blurred. Victor was far stronger than he was. However, as Victor rushed in he found that the mark of his punch was no longer there, causing his fist to collide with the wall. In that instant Randy drove his knee into Victor's gut, before he dropped, sweeping his leg across Victor's, but as he fell forward he found himself falling across the back of Randy's leg, being held up by the man's calf, before another spin brought Randy's other knee into Victor's face, pulling him back off the ground. As he was airborne, Randy shot about clutching Victor by the neck, driving him into the ground. Before Randy could realize what was happening he felt Victor grab him by both shoulders before he kicked both feet into Randy's gut, sending him high into the air. As he descended, Randy landed over Victor's shoulder. Victor quickly jumped forward flipping Randy in front of him and driving him back first into the metal ground. This time after Victor stood up, Randy simply lay there. This bought Victor time to find his weapon, which he found buried in a computer screen not far from their position.

After retrieving his weapon, Victor turned only to find Randy staggering away with his weapon in hand. There was almost no time before Victor caught up, and before Randy could even realize it Victor was right behind him…

"You know you're getting really irritating." He chuckled. "Look up ahead of you."

Randy stopped for a moment as he noticed a familiar figure sitting in a wheelchair, with his head leaning to one side. "Recognize someone do you?"

Randy couldn't believe his eyes. "Jay…" he gasped, "Victor, what did you do to him?"

The man was slightly tall, but thin, as though he'd not eaten in forever…his eyes were devoid of sanity and life, his skin was once darker like Victors before now, his skin was very pale, and his long hair looked as though it had not seen water or brush in years…

"I didn't do a thing. Believe it or not this is all Jay's fault," he said, "See…his first attempt with the nanites ended…unsatisfactory to company standards."

Randy looked at his crippled friend. "Jeff was right. It wasn't stable at all, was it?" He sighed. "Jeff always was the brilliant one."

"You're right…it did have its side effects," Victor replied, "Randy I'll be honest. I knew you were coming here. I know even more that if this fight pans out any longer, one of us is going to die, even both of us might."

Randy looked over the crippled man who clearly tried to say something as Randy reached into his pocket pulling out a small gray object, holding it up between his thumb and forefinger. "Up until now you've been using this against me…" he said, "You know how much of a coward that makes you, don't you Victor?" he asked.

Victor smiled. "How did I know you had something like that on you?" he asked, "Go ahead in that case, use it. We'll see who it is that really is the best."

Randy glared at Victor tossing the Mod aside. "I don't need it. Live or die, at least I'll know that I used my own strength. You're a coward…and at the very least alive or dead that's something you can never say about me."

Victor smiled. "I would never say such a thing. A fool maybe, a dead man possibly, but never a coward. You just have a nasty habit of getting in over your head. You need to understand that what I did, there were no offenses intended…it was just business. When Omni said you had to go, you had to go. Too bad the old man tried to get in my way, so did the little lady."

Randy sighed. "That's your weakness Vic…you'll do anything for money."

"Well that's enough talk," Victor said rushing in at his old friend.

Randy swiftly dropped, allowing the blade to pass over his head. The blow glanced over barely missing, but taking some of Randy's hair with it. However, as he ducked Randy swung his own weapon at Victor's feet, causing the man to jump just as Randy's blade bit into the steel floor. Their blows met one after another ringing out a loud song sung in steel and sparks. It was as though neither of the two would give an inch before something struck Victor from behind. As he stumbled forward, a quick thrust of Randy's sword pierced into Victor's back. Without looking behind him, Victor's foot struck Randy's chest throwing him to the ground. He held his wound while looking to the object that had struck him: a familiar man in a wheelchair. Without a word Victor drove his sword into Jay's chest before turning to face Randy again, who was simply too exhausted to lift his weapon anymore…

"Blood's almost black Victor…" Randy chuckled, "You know what that means? It means I hit your liver…I give you…about ten minutes." He laughed. "Looks like we both die down here."

As Randy said this there was a blaring alarm. "Well it looks…" Victor winced in pain. "Like you had that little minx trip the evacuation alarm."

Randy chuckled lightly. "Not quite." He smiled. "She overloaded the power grid. In three more minutes this place is gonna come down around your fuckin' head."

Victor quickly shot forward. If he was going to die, then it was going to be Randy before him. However, just as Victor's sword began to make contact, Randy's weapon swung about glancing the blow so that it only pierced his shoulder. Victor stumbled back a bit with a shocked look on his face before a wave of crimson ebbed from his neck just below his chin. The human let out a choked rattle as he slapped his hands over the wound, clearly trying to say something as his last moments were spent choking on his own blood. Finally Randy watched as Victor fell to his knees, his eyes filled with hatred and fear as he finally fell to the floor. It was now that Randy reached to the handle of his old master's weapon, which now lay to its hilt in his shoulder, pinning him to the metal floor. However, his struggles were in vain. He was too weak to pull it free…and even if he had managed to free himself, chances said that he would never make it out of the building. He managed to reach to his ear where he placed two fingers…

"Mika?"

There was a pause. "Oh god. Randy where are you? I'll come help."

"No…you listen…" he replied, "Thank you. For understanding…and for showing…showing me that you shouldn't let your memories destroy you," he said, "Tell…tell the others that Jay was here…he died saving my life…"

"Randy…what are you talking about? We can get out of here there's still time left," she shouted.

Randy chuckled. "No. Just do me a favor and apologize to Tyrea. Don't lie to the kid though…tell her the truth, she's been lied to enough," he said, "And one last thing…"

Mika didn't reply…

"I…I don't think I ever could have found a better student…" he said, "Or…or a better friend."

With that said Randy turned off his communicator, but as he lay there something met his hand, causing him to hold it up so he could see it for a moment: a small gray vial, and a man in a wheelchair that had pushed it into his arm. His vision was blurred and he was slightly disoriented, but as Randy lay there he managed to see Jay's face. Blood pooled down his chest from his mouth and his open wound, but as he spit up a bit of blood a rattled voice came with it, however what he said was too muffled to hear…

"_L…li…live."_

**…... …...**

Mika had spent what time she could searching the area for Randy, but with the place as large as it was, she eventually found herself in the small ship she'd rode in on, soaring away from the structure. She'd gotten the information that Rose needed, but at what cost? She didn't know why it was she couldn't stop crying. She kept wiping her eyes, but in the end her tears simply refused to stop flowing. She'd gone on this mission to help, but in the end she was useless…she couldn't even help one person. She cursed and swore at herself, but in the end if she'd stayed behind, she'd simply have ended up dead too. As soon as she was a safe distance from the compound, the minx landed her small ship and rushed out looking at the small structure on the horizon. She kept telling herself that another ship would come, or he'd come walking out of the building any moment. Suddenly there was a flash of light that caused her to cover her eyes with her forearm before a tremendous shockwave sent her onto her back, and a wave of dust finally rolled in over the area completely blocking out any kind of view. She could hear Alex yelling into her communicator, but she was completely deaf to him as she stood there waiting, until she fell back against the hull of her small ship sliding to the ground…

"Mika!" Alex finally shouted getting her attention, "He's not coming back! Just get in your ship and let's go! This mission was about that data…and we have to get it to Rose before her plan starts!" He added, "ARE YOU FUCKING IGNORING ME!"

Mika simply turned her communicator off. She wondered as she sat there; she wondered why it was such a big deal, after all it was only a human. They'd murdered and enslaved thousands of Lylatians before…what did it really matter that one of them met his end trying to help? The weight of the situation was far heavier than she wanted to say. She felt as though she'd lost her best friend. She lost track of how long she sat there before she finally stood up wiping her muddy tears away. The dust lingering in the area still caused her to cough as she stepped onto her ship…but as she stepped onto her ship she heard a faint sound, or at least she thought she had. She turned her head back toward the completely gone building…and as the dust cleared, she realized that there truly was nothing there, not even a building anymore. She turned again looking only to the floor…however this time she clearly heard a weak cough. Mika quickly leaped down from the ship and rushed toward the top of a nearby sand dune, only to look about seeing absolutely nothing. Finally her eyes looked directly down to the side of the dune. There laying in the sand, covered in caked on blood, and mud, with two swords laying beside him, was Randy, battered and bloody, but for the most part alive. She had no idea how he'd gotten out alive, but she quickly rushed to his side. She drew her face away for a moment. Judging by his smell at the moment, she could clearly guess how he'd gotten out of the building without being caught in the explosion, but that wasn't important. She quickly turned her communicator back on, informing Alex what had happened. Though it was difficult, she managed to carry the unconscious human to her ship making certain he and his weapons were on board before finally heading out. With everything in step there was no telling how this was going to end, but thanks to Randy's help, and the data the minx had stolen with the help of Randy's friend Sasha…things were looking better than ever…


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: **_Well this really is winding down to the letter here. I can't believe how fast I'm actually managing to get this done. The next few chapters will manage to set up and carry out the final plot devices. The last few chapters will prove much more action oriented than others have...but, I'll take it that nobody has a problem with that. Hope you enjoy that chapter, thanks for the Support and I'll see to it that the next update is up soon..._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox

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**…...****Chapter 20…...**

_**-Nemesis: en route to planet Kaleet-**_

Upon reclaiming the sword that was once Krystal's staff, the small group dropped Dravyn and his two friends off on Kew, a fair distance from the strange wolverine that had attacked her. As she sat there in the medical bay however, the sapphire-furred vixen pulled her tank top up far enough for Jeff to see her injured ribs. He seemed a bit agitated that she had taken so long to actually come to him with the injury, but she claimed that she would rather not waste her energy healing it herself. Then again she claimed she wanted to know the severity of the injury first. The human sighed as he looked over some x-rays of the vixen's rib cage…

"Well…" He chuckled. "You're perfectly healthy. Your ribs are pretty badly bruised, and your left external oblique is torn a bit, and on top of that you have a strained wrist. Whoever this guy was, he really was something to manage this kind of damage under the shield of yours."

The vixen hissed as Jeff applied some sort of ointment to her injured muscle that seemed to grow rather hot. "He was controlling gravity somehow."

Jeff sighed as he walked back to a small cabinet. "Well, a few friends of mine and I once did this study on advanced Psionics. You wouldn't believe some of the shit we discovered; some of the people we met. I did a study on this woman named Lorainea. She woke up one morning and found herself levitating face down against her ceiling…" he said, "Her stages of telekinesis were actually even on a higher level than the tests you allowed me to take from you. She heard voices all her life, served several years in a mental hospital, and eventually she found my number," he said walking over to the vixen and handing her the small tube of ointment, "Make sure that's on your side before you go to bed, or wake up," he instructed her, "When she finally contacted us, we learned more about Psionics in one day than we had in five years. More and more people started coming to us, and eventually I met this really strange fella. Claimed he didn't even have a name that he could remember. The day I met him was the day that I realized how powerful the mind really is. I discovered that day that he could actually freeze time in a small area around him. Actually I believe that it was more he altered people's perception of time…but still. That day I brought myself to believe that there are more Psionic abilities out there than we'll ever be able to count, or put on record."

"Slippy said that word a lot…Psionics. He said it was the classification of the powers that my people have."

Jeff eyes went wide for a moment. "Wait. Are you telling me that your people are different from…say that Fox fellow of yours?"

Krystal nodded. "Yes. If you haven't noticed, I have blue fur." She chuckled a bit. "Not exactly normal in the case of a fox of any kind…even where you're from I'm sure."

Jeff laughed lightly. "True. I was just curious to find that there is a race of people out there that is genetically predisposed to developing these abilities. I really would love studying your people as a whole."

Krystal's ears lay back against her scalp. "Tyrea, Vixy, and I are the only three left that I know of now. Vixy claims that Omni said there was more of us out there, but I doubt it."

Jeff chuckled as the vixen stood up and headed to the door. "You should never doubt what nobody's certain of. Scientists all over the universe have made that mistake…and you know what usually happens?"

The vixen stopped still looking toward the door…

"They're usually proven wrong," he reassured her.

**...… ...…**

Jade still had a hard time with this whole situation, but what could she do now that she was brought to harsh realization that she was endangering the only part of John that she had left? Sitting in the room that Krystal had so graciously allowed her to stay in had given her plenty of time to think to herself. Her nights were still haunted by the images of that night, her sister, Tylor…John. She could still see them all so clearly, hear their voices while she slept. Most of all however, she could still see that twisted smile and those cold soulless eyes. Knowing that she couldn't in her right mind hold Fox McCloud himself responsible for what had happened, she didn't know what else to do. She'd spoken with the animal on the Nemesis that claimed to be Fox McCloud…yet, she knew there was no way that it was the same animal that had taken everything away from her. The bright red-furred vixen suddenly turned toward the door of the small room…

"Come in," she called.

There was a moment of hesitation before the small door slid silently open, revealing a cream-furred young vixen with a little blue Cerinian girl at her side. She carried a small platter of food. "Hi," she said.

Jade sighed. "Hi." She smiled at the smaller blue vixen before looking back up to Lia. "Lia right?"

Lia nodded. "Yep. The big lug with the huge breasted cheetah girl is my brother," she said stepping inside.

"Lucky him." Jade chuckled.

"Unlucky her." Lia laughed as she handed the vixen the small plate of food. "She's pregnant, and I'm pretty sure when those things start to swell, she's gonna regret it." Lia moved across the room looking out the small port window. "I heard what happened to your family. I'm sorry…" she said looking back over her shoulder to see Jade patting Tyrea on the head, "Tyrea lost all of her family too. I was surprised when I found out what this was all about too. I didn't want to believe it either."

Jade sighed. "Yeah, but I looked in their eyes. The one that attacked us, and the one that you had here. They were two different people. He wasn't the one that I wanted."

Lia thought for a moment. "What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know…" Jade said, "I can't go back to flying anytime soon, Bill's the only real family I have left, and he's in some military operation right now to clear his name."

"Ah…that sucks," Lia replied, "I just thought you could use some food. After Krystal told us about your condition, I thought it might not be so good for you to starve yourself like this."

"I know…" Jade sighed. "It's not intentional though."

Lia chuckled. "Yeah, I know," she replied, "Listen, you don't have to stay in here. You can move around the ship, nobody's gonna snap your head off or anything. Why don't you come with Tyrea and I? We'll show you around the ship."

Jade chuckled as she looked up from her food. "Okay…" She sighed. "But can I eat first?"

Lia chuckled a bit and simply sat down, allowing Jade the time she needed to eat. She clearly was a lot hungrier than she let on as she attacked her food with utter gusto. Once she finished however, she followed Lia out of the room and down the halls. Feeling a bit better about her situation. Jade was happy that someone tried to reach out to her, especially knowing that she wasn't the only person on the ship that had suffered they way she had…

**... ...**

Roxy woke late. She'd stayed up all night since Silver was still sleeping in the sick bay…she wasn't fully certain why she had such a hard time sleeping when she knew he was hurt, but it didn't really matter. She was quick to get dressed and finally headed off to the sick bay. She figured she'd stop by and pick up breakfast, not only for herself, but for Silver as well. She didn't find it odd that hardly anyone was there. Sia and Vixy seemed to be the only two there. The older white-furred vixen had begun to show a lot of interest in the young canine, teaching her random things that she'd missed out on all the time she'd been stuck on the far off rock Fox had found her on. The pink-furred bunny made her way out of the room and headed off. It wasn't much of a walk to the sick bay, it only took a few minutes for her to finally get there and find Jeff had only recently finished his own breakfast…

"Morning…" Roxy said cheerfully, "How's Silver been doing?"

Jeff chuckled. "He's been doing a lot of sleeping. I haven't had a chance to check in on him yet I had to take care of Krystal's busted up ribs before I had my breakfast. He should be fine though, go on in."

Silver's bed was separated by a cloth drape that was there to give the animal a bit of privacy. Most of the time Jeff drew it closed to keep the light in the room from bothering anyone. As soon as Roxy pulled away the curtain however, she was shocked to find that Silver's bed was empty. There was nothing there but an impression of his body. She took a moment to ponder this. After all he could have got up to use the bathroom or something. It was obvious by now that the animal clearly didn't like being injured and laid up in bed. She turned to Jeff with a questioning look…

"Um…where's Silver?" she asked.

Jeff turned and looked to the bed. "I…I don't know. He was there before I went to bed last night."

Suddenly there was a familiar tone from the ship's PA system followed by Krystal's voice. "Um…Roxy, I think we need to have a little chat. It's about Silver."

Hearing that, the lapin quickly rushed out of the docking bay and down the halls, not even realizing anymore that she'd dropped the two plates of food she'd been carrying. It was such a horrible trip, and her legs and lungs burned before she actually arrived. When she finally stepped onto the bridge she was hoping to see Silver there, but the only thing waiting for her was a handful of animals. Krystal stood up as soon as she heard the young lapin rush through the door and turned around offering Roxy her seat…

"Sit down…" she said.

Roxy slowly made her way to Krystal who motioned for her to sit in the captain's seat. She then looked to the others; Creed, Jane, and Nick. "Everyone else out of the room." Once everyone was gone Krystal stepped in front of Roxy. "Roxy…last night, Silver woke up…" She seemed to pause for a moment. Roxy could see that something was very wrong as the vixen didn't seem to wear her normal expression, in fact she seemed a bit more depressed than usual. "Look, I don't know how else to say it. He…he left Roxy."

The lapin's eyes welled over almost instantly. "What? Why?"

Krystal knelt down placing a paw on the young bunny's shoulder. "His memories returned to him last night. When he woke up…well, I don't know what it was he was thinking," she said pulling Roxy into a comforting embrace, "But he left you a message. So at least his memories haven't changed him any," the vixen said pulling way, "Do you want me to stay here?"

Roxy slowly shook her head, wiping her eyes on the back of her paw. "No…thank you Krystal," she replied, "But I think I'll be okay."

The long haired Cerinian stood up slowly walking off. "Alright…I'll be right outside the door if you need me then."

As Krystal left the room, it left the lapin there alone, and clearly activated from the outside the ship's main holographic imager, came on a display of a calm silver vulpine's head. There was a moment that Roxy wasn't sure what to think about this message before she realized that his expression wasn't changing at all…

"Roxy…" he started, "I'm sorry that I couldn't do this in person, but after I woke up last night, I remembered everything. Everything about Omni, the program that created me…and I know where to find the real CEO of the company. I'm going there and I'm going to put a stop to this all…before he can create more people like me. The person that attacked Krystal and me was the same guy. He calls himself X…I don't know his real name, but when he came to the company I was still in my testing phase. He wanted to be stronger and the CEO accepted his wishes allowing him to go through a different process involving Cerinian DNA…something about creating the ultimate military. X was the byproduct of that experiment. Unfortunately it also was what was responsible in part for his constant need to fight. He doesn't show it, but his ability has a powerful effect on his mind. From what I heard before they threw me in the freezer, if he uses it too much, it'll cause parts of his brain to fail." There was a moment in which he simply sat there looking at the floor. "Roxy…I wanted to tell you more than anything when I woke up, but I really doubt that I'll be coming back. I…I love you still even with all my memories back, but there's no place in Lylat for someone like me. I know we went over it before, and you say it doesn't matter what others think, but it really does. I don't want people to hate me because of what I am, and I've seen enough of Lylat to know that is exactly what will happen if people ever found out about me. I think right now the best thing is for you to forget about me. You can live a normal life no matter where you go, but with me that would never be possible," he said, "Roxy…thank you for everything, for teaching me things that I never would have leaned without your help…and thank you, for loving me. Good bye."

Krystal stood outside of the room with several of the others, and sighed as she turned the dial down on the device around her crown. She could feel what Roxy was going through at the moment. She could feel the lapin's sorrow. It was the very same way that she had felt the day Fox had left her behind so long ago. The blue-furred vixen turned toward Jane with a sigh as she turned the device back on to block out all that she felt at the moment…

"So?" she asked, "What have you got?"

Jane sighed. "Yeah, I got him. He's headed for some place at the far end of the Dan'jas system. The position is moving too so I believe that it's some kind of space station. It's not moving very fast either. Almost like it's keeping geosynchronized orbit with a nearby planet."

The vixen sighed. "Creed…I know it's a lot to ask, but…"

Creed chuckled. "Don't even start with the 'I don't wanna ask' BS," he replied, "Just tell Roxy to meet me in the docking bay in twenty minutes and I'll go take honey bunny to track the kid down."

Krystal sighed. "Of course you'll be going too," she said looking to the cheetah beside the large fox.

"They may need me," she chimed, "After all, there's nobody here that knows her way around a computer like me."

Krystal chuckled. "Yeah you're right," she said, "Just try to keep Creed out of trouble, and make sure you've always got a weapon on you. You're not exactly the best fighter."

Jane chuckled. "Yeah," she replied, "Maybe I should take a few classes some day."

Creed chuckled, this time laying his paw on the cheetah's shoulder. "Don't bother. I like you just fine the way you are."

Krystal laughed. "He's just saying that because he doesn't want you to start kicking his tail."

After breaking away from the small group, Creed and Jane headed off for the docking bay. They understood why it was that she'd send them away to find Silver. She really did care about the kid after all. The vixen felt a deep connection with just about everyone she met…at least with the ones she liked. Creed was happy himself to go after Silver, however he knew that of course he'd been less than a best friend to the young fox, but he really did like the kid. It wasn't long before there was a small gathering in the docking bay, which ended with just Krystal and Vixy watching Creed, Jane, and Roxy boarding a small ship, and finally pulling away from the Nemesis…

"You know we may need them," Vixy pointed out crossing her arms over her chest.

Krystal sighed shaking her head. "You're wrong. If we all went to Kaleet to help Fox, there's just that much more of a chance of someone getting killed. I would much rather it was just me going down there."

Vixy chuckled as she rested her paw on the worried Cerinian's shoulder. "Yes, but you know that I'm not about to let you go down there alone."

Krystal smiled. "I know…" She sighed. "Thank you Vixy. This is the end though. Once we have Fox back we're giving this all up. I hate worrying about him day in and day out, even when we weren't together anymore I still worried about him constantly. I'm just going to hold him to his old promise this time."

"What promise?" the older vixen asked.

Krystal wiped a tear away from her eyes. "He once promised me that when the fighting was all done, we'd go to Sauria, a perfect paradise, where we could live out the rest of our lives without being bothered by all of this stress ever again. Where we can just be together and start a family, and live a happy life."

Vixy sighed. "That sounds like a wonderful plan for a couple of young lovers. I often wonder what my life would have been like if James had given up all this mercenary business a long time ago. When I look back on it though, I realize that then Fox never would have grown into the man that he is now, Lylat never would have stopped Andross, and most of all…Fox never would have met you," she said, "I see in you all the love that I had when I was your age, all the love I had for that dashing young fox I met all those years ago. Even after being tortured by Omni, and starved for nearly two decades…it was all worth it in the end to see what my son has accomplished in his short life."

Krystal sighed as she moved back a bit. "Come on, we have to get the others ready. The General needs their help a lot more than we do right now."

"I'm sure you're right. How much longer until they launch their attack?" Vixy replied.

Krystal thought for a moment as they both headed out into the halls. "I'm not sure, maybe another day or so. Not much time at all."

The two headed for the bridge where they would call a meeting for the others before finally sending them all off toward the Primrose to meet with the United Lylat Forces, for the last stand against Omni. And though with some delegation in the matter, soon enough, Vixy and Krystal were the only two left on the ship, which still headed hastily toward the planet where they would finally have a chance to bring Fox back to his former self…

**... ...**

**-The Primrose-**

Several animals stood on the bridge. A tall black-feathered avian stood at the center wearing a very convincing captain's uniform. He looked out over the vast expanse of space before him. Far ahead of his ship two more large battleships floated, seeming small and minuscule at their distance. The Primrose was only one of the three largest ships in the Joint Lylat military, Gigas and Titan being the two a bit further ahead, keeping all flanks covered while they held their final tests. Sitting out at the center apex of the triangle between the three ships was a small robotic figure, its interior housing a familiar black-furred feline. The tests for the canon had last come back with a few minor ticks. After recalibrating its drives, it was finally passed for another test. As the captain of the Primrose stood by a voice came through the PA system…

"This is Arch-1 readying primary systems. RWC online…I'm gonna start at fifty percent power and we'll try to move up from there."

The avian sighed, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and placing it in his mouth, finally lighting it with a wooden match. "Arch-1 we had jettisoned three transport containers. They should already show up on your HUD. We marked 'em with enemy frequency signatures."

"I got 'em in the red," Vanity replied.

The captain took a deep breath, blowing a large plume of smoke. "Alright, this isn't a damage test. According to the Professor it won't really have a dramatic effect on anything like a storage container, so fire at will and for the love of god, be careful."

The robotic figure floating there in space reached behind its back, pulling forth a large square barreled weapon of some sort. It looked as through it had three segments. The backside of the weapon rested on her Keizer's shoulder, while she took aim through a small device that fell down in front of her visor. She wondered how much the cannon weighed in the atmosphere of a planet for a moment, but quickly focused her concentration on the three, ship sized metal containers that floated helplessly out into the open. The only thing that she hated so far was that there was no room on a Keizer for onboard weaponry and auto targeting. Weapons like the cannon had to be aimed and fired the old fashioned way. The flip of a small switch on the handle of the weapon caused several small blue lights to beam to life across the long barrel of the weapon, and a light vibration to tremble though her armor. She took a deep breath, making certain she held the weapon perfectly still as she took her aim. This had to count, as this was a test of accuracy…since their distance made the three objects appear rather small. Finally, the feline General depressed the trigger. What fired from the mouth of the cannon was a stream of bright red energy that seemed to pulsate with electricity in small blue arcs across the jet of red. The shot didn't move very fast at first before it finally seemed to speed up all at once. Its impact with the three containers had little effect other than dispersing the bolt of energy into nothing more than flickering lights as it sent the three containers spinning into the voids of space. Vanity was amazed. It had taken her a moment to recover from the shock of what she'd just seen, and felt. The weapon had actually forced her back some distance even though her suit's retrorockets were fired in the opposite direction…

"You guys catch that?" she asked.

On the bridge of the Primrose, the captain stood, his cigarette falling from his beak as he looked on in disbelief. "Yeah we got it. Hang on, let's get in a quick damage test," he said, "Maggie…" he said, "Get docking bay six on the horn, tell 'em to drop that useless old transport that we've been hanging onto. It's pretty fucking big."

"Yes sir," a young canine girl replied.

As Vanity waited, she could only wonder what it was the weapon could do in the field. As she waited however, a large transport slowly floated into the great open space before her. It was clearly not meant to be used, but as it floated by she noticed that it too was marked with an enemy signature. The feline decided to amp this test up a bit however as she powered the weapon up a bit more, setting it to seventy-five percent power…

"Arch-1 reporting…" she said, "The cannon's powered up. We're gonna hit this thing with seventy-five. Let me know when we're clear."

It took a moment longer than she'd wanted to wait. She was a bit anxious to see the weapon's destructive capacity. Suddenly however, the avian's familiar voice came on, "Alright, Arch-1. You are clear to fire at will."

"'Bout fucking time." Vanity chuckled.

Her sight had been aimed at the transport the whole time and this time there was little to no hesitation. The bolt of energy was substantially bigger this time, as it was clearly several times the size of her unit. The small beam shot forward at an incredible speed before slamming into the ship, which spiraled madly from the impact of the weapon. This time however, the ship began to bubble with small red patches in its hull. The small domes festered around the ship until it was covered and finally violently burst into a mess of instantly diminishing flames leaving behind only a cloud of smoke and a cloud of debris that flew in Vanity's direction. Over her communicator, the feline could hear the cheers from the bridge of the Primrose. The weapon was a complete success. Finally they would have something that not even Omni had the power to recreate…and it would be the primary tool used to take them down…


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:**_ Hey everyone, nice to see this thing is getting underway. Anyhow, I've got this down to the next three chapters...but, may try to drag it out to 25, not sure why 25 chapters just looks better than 24 to me for some reason ^_^ Well...enjoy that chapter...and I'll see you soon as the next chapter is already about half way done...cya..._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox

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******...****Chapter 21…...**

_**-Three years ago-**_

_Silver lay on an open table, wearing only a small device that arched up from the table over his eyes, locking completely around his head. It was as he lay there that a promising Venomian scientist looked over a small clipboard, flipping through the pages checking things off here and there. The project had been far more prosperous than he'd expected it to be. Number thirteen had so far proven that his abilities were even beyond the scope of a well-trained animal that had been serving the military for years. Yet, the scientist was worried about several results. The animal's peak psychosis was slightly unstable…it had been a severe problem with all of the subjects so far. However, it was thanks to a specialized Neural Inhibitor device placed in a key location on the fox's frontal lobe that this problem had become slightly more stable. It was as he stood there that a light pink-furred minx walked into the room. She wore a long white coat and carried several pages of recent test results…_

"_Well Miss Varns let's see what we have here," the ape said taking the test results._

"_I'm afraid it's not looking very well Doctor," she replied passing him the pages, "As you can see his brainwaves are still very active. His higher brain functions show that he's still learning at an advanced rate, but he's still showing the same signs as all the others before him."_

_The doctor sighed, flipping through the pages until something stood out. "What about this?" he said pointing to a page of the paper, "Something is unusual about these scans. His readings are actually far worse than the others. Has he shown any signs of cognitive individual thought?"_

_The minx thought for a moment. "Not as far as I've noticed," she replied, "I have been monitoring his personal time, and keeping record of his daily progress for the last six years. However, recently he has been spending a lot of time in the terrarium."_

_The scientist simply looked to the silver-furred fox. "Thirteen…can you hear me?"_

"_Yes doctor," the animal replied in a monotonous voice._

"_Miss Varns informs me that you have been spending a lot of time in the station's terrarium…is this true?" the ape continued._

_The young vulpine seemed to simply lay there for a moment in silence. "Yes doctor."_

"_May I ask why?"_

_This time the vulpine's silence lasted much longer than the first time. "Because it is quite…it smells…nice."_

_The minx and ape looked to each other for a moment before looking back to him. "Thirteen…when did you start feeling like this?"_

"_Five years, four months, twenty days, six hours, thirty three minutes ago," he replied without missing a beat._

_The doctor looked to the minx for a moment. "Would you mind simply explaining what happened that day?"_

"_That was the day I was placed in Doctor Varns' care," the young fox replied, "It was when I was no longer allowed to see Eleven anymore. The doctors explained that it was time for me to begin training. I do not know why, but Doctor Varns took me to see her favorite places. The terrarium was one of them. I liked it there…there were no voices, no shouting…no needles. I…I do not like needles," he said, "I first realized I was different when I brought Eleven to the terrarium. She did not speak anymore…she only spoke to the doctors. I began writing the things that I felt, but I knew that I would get Doctor Varns in trouble if the book were found. So I hid it…"_

"_Where did you hide this book?" the ape asked calmly._

_Thirteen remained silent…_

"_Thirteen, you will respond," the doctor suddenly demanded in the same calm tone._

"_No…" the fox replied bluntly, "If the book is found Doctor Varns will be punished. I like Doctor Varns. She is nice to me. She shows me things…"_

_The ape looked to Varns for a moment. "Has he reacted like this before?"_

"_No," the minx replied, "He's never been like this."_

"_Doctor…" the vulpine suddenly asked, gathering both their attentions, "What is SilverFox? I hear the other doctors. They say it all the time. 'SilverFox'…They point at me, call me promising."_

_The ape looked to the silver vulpine. "Well…in a lesser sense…you. You are SilverFox."_

_The young vulpine's head turned to one side. "I am…" He paused for a moment as his voice trailed off into a dull whisper. "Silver?"_

_The ape took a moment, stepping over closely to his associate. "Listen Miss Varns. I want you to keep this under wraps for now. I know that we're supposed to terminate any subject that shows these signs, but if I can study what is causing his psychosis, maybe I can learn how to stop it before it becomes too radical."_

"_Alright…" Varns said, stepping toward the table pressing a small button that caused the small device over the fox's eyes to separate at the center, the two halves retreating into the table. Finally the minx led the young fox out of the room._

_The days passed by quickly, and the young experiment's life carried on as if nothing had ever happened. However, after several weeks…the pink-furred doctor that was set to undertake him, simply stopped coming to see him, and Thirteen was set under the control of the lead editor of the SilverFox program, the doctor he had talked to before. The older ape was nothing like the young minx. He was withdrawn, and very stern. He often raised his voice, and he seemed to expect so very much more from the young fox than the minx ever had. His days in the training rooms grew more advanced, and harder on him physically. Some days he would be lucky to leave the training areas with minor injuries, several times he had broken bones and cracked ribs. One day however, the young vulpine was sitting on a metal table while his overseer stood by watching a nurse patch up his newly injured ribs. It wasn't until the nurse left the room that the ape looked the young fox over. His expression seemed slightly different to the ape…_

"_Is something bothering you?" he asked._

_The young fox simply sat there looking over a small tag he'd recently been given to wear around his neck with the word 'Silver' pressed into its surface, a code name he'd been given. "Doctor…what happened to the terrarium? It was not there yesterday."_

_The brown furred ape sighed. "The terrarium was…outsourced…" he replied, getting a confused look, "Terminated, removed. It was removed from the station…the CEO believed that it was counterproductive and had it removed."_

"_I miss Doctor Varns," Silver replied looking to the floor._

_The ape sighed. "Well…she was removed as well," he said, "She was put to death when she was found smuggling information off of the base," he finished heading for the door, "She will not be working with you anymore."_

_Silver sat there for a moment. He'd never really heard the word before. Living as he did, he was very protected from such things. So far his training had not gone far enough for him to have actually taken a life yet. He sat there for a long time as the doctor had left. He couldn't help but wonder why it was that Doctor Varns would not be coming back. What did this word the doctor had used mean? In a state of utter confusion, the young fox thought about something Doctor Varns had taught him…_

"_Computer…" he mumbled, "Define…death."_

_There was a moment before a small confirming beep sounded. "Death…seven definitions found…" A light voice echoed through the small speakers located somewhere in the ceiling. "One: the event of dying or departure from life. Two: the permanent end of all life functions in an organism or part of an organism. Three: the absence of life or state of being dead. Four: the time when something ends. Five: the time at which life ends, continuing until dead. Six: a final state. Seven: the act of killing."_

_Silver thought to himself. "State of being dead?" he repeated to himself, "Computer define…terminate…most common use."_

_There was another confirming beep. "Terminate: bring to an end or halt."_

_Silver thought back to when Doctor Varns and his current overseer had used he word 'terminate' in reference to him. It was at that moment that the doctor made his way back into the room carrying a small tray with him, which he sat down before returning his attention to Silver. He noticed a disturbed expression on his face…_

"_Is something the matter? You have been acting strange lately."_

_Silver thought for a moment. "Doctor Varns…is dead?"_

_The ape sighed. "Yes…she is dead."_

"_She was…terminated?"_

"_I suppose you could say that, yes," the ape replied causing the vulpine's eyes to open wide._

"_Terminate means the same as death?"_

_The ape was about to reply when he stopped with his mouth partly open. "Well yes. People often use it as a way of softening the depth of the word death. I suppose some can't handle it, then again some companies use the same term to sway certain legal issues."_

_The doctor, having answered the vulpine's questions, went back to his work, but didn't seem to notice Silver's radical breathing and increased heart rate. Something gripped at the vulpine's chest. He could feel something that begged him to run. He could not stop his entire body from shaking. It was now that the doctor turned to Silver, dropping the instrument he held…_

"_I…I am…to be ter-terminated."_

_The doctor slowly backed away. "Oh no." He gasped._

_Suddenly a siren broke out all across the bass as a silver- furred animal flew from a small window with the brown-furred Venomian rushing after him. The alarm had been sounded, and now every animal on the base was on the alert, searching the entire base. His path led him through the halls and into the docking bay where he finally found a mass of animals all holding weapons. Quickly the feeling returned. He was well aware that every animal there was definitely there to kill him. It was as he stood there, completely petrified with fear, that the brown-furred ape rushed into the troops…_

"_Stop!" he shouted, "Orders are for non-lethal fire only! Subdue and retrieve him!"_

_The fox slowly closed his eyes, and suddenly there was a familiar pain in his right shoulder, causing him to look toward a small object that struck him. As his vision blurred, he shook his head, removing the small syringe. His vision faded and finally the animal collapsed to the floor in utter darkness…_

**-Present Day-**

Silver shook his head. He had no idea why his mind kept rushing back to that time and that place. He swore he'd never go back, but here he was. He wanted this, he wanted to end it and make certain that there'd be no more mistakes like him. He was certain of his meaning in life, even if it was a false life, one that was never meant to be. He knew that he was meant to bring the vicious cycle to an end. His mind wandered back to the cavern he'd seen so long ago, all the dead animals that lay there in that place. What had their feelings been in that last moment? Did they even have any? What was it, to Omni at least, that was so horrible about feeling, and emotion? He wanted more than anything to just turn around and go back to Roxy, but how could they ever be happy if they were constantly on the run? Roxy had explained that she didn't care what others thought of her, or him for that matter. Her words that one night had given him a lot to think about. Something more recently had given him more to think about however, and that was the thought that the animal he'd fought on the Omni ship hovering over Titania, was actually really as was explained, his sister. The thought made him ask himself if a clone could even legitimately be called a sibling, but how could he be cloned into anything other than another male? His mind raced with questions but he also wondered if he was doing the wise thing here. He left out the fact that he'd received a message from an unknown source that night. How this person had gotten his personal communicator number was far beyond him, but now that he recognized the doctor's voice, he was not quite as surprised. The ape had seemed different when he was explaining his situation, trying to help who he called Eve escape from the space station. Silver wondered if he was actually doing the right thing. After all was there any way he could actually trust the animal that had helped create him? Could he trust the vixen that had tried to kill him before? He wondered even how it was that he was going to get aboard the space station, but the ape from the transmission had told him not to worry about boarding the station. Of course this made him worry a bit at least, but something seemed a bit too easy about all of this. Nevertheless, as his path continued, the massive station came slowly into view…at first it looked like a simple moon in orbit around a small planet. Something caused a slight shiver to trail down Silver's spine. He knew this place. Even if he couldn't fully remember ever actually seeing the station itself, he knew it. It was home, where everything for him had started, and where everything would finally end…

**-The Primrose-**

Vanity stood there in the docking bay with all eyes on her. The small ship in front of her bore the passengers that Krystal had sent in order to assist her in the final assault against Omni. As she stood there she remembered why it was that she hated giving speeches, so she decided to keep it short. The feline held her paws up calling for the roar of chatter among the animals to dull down…

"Everyone listen up…" she called, "I'm no good at speeches so I'm just going to say it. Krystal has sent a small team to infiltrate the Omni headquarters as we speak. We'll be given several hours before they get there and when they signal for us, we're going to hit Omni hard and fast. We do NOT want to give them the chance to see us coming. Now I know you may all have mixed feelings about this, but the rumors are true…" She sighed. "We've been being assisted by humans."

At the sound of the word 'humans' there was a sudden uproar in the docking bay as the animals all chattered amongst themselves. "QUIET PLEASE!" Vanity shouted causing the gossip to die down.

"I know what you're all thinking. To be honest I was the same way when I first met them," Vanity pointed out, "But they have helped this war effort more than you could possibly realize. There are only two of them on this ship, and if Krystal's team has been able to trust them for this much time, then I feel we can trust them just the same. One of them is a physician on a level I've never seen before. He's already cured one of Krystal's teammates of a very fatal disease and will work wonders in this ship's sickbay, and the other is an engineer and computing specialist. I am not asking you to accept them, but let me point out that without these people, the Archangel unit would never have been built. As of now these people are honorary Lylatians, and I have given them full military ranking for the time being. Any sort of action against them, or attempts to hold them responsible for their people's mistakes as a whole will be met with swift punishment…" she said finally taking a deep breath, "Now, once we have everything in order I want Bill Gray's team to meet the other First Strike squadrons near the launch pad for the new Arwings. There are some details that we need to go over before this is gets underway. Who is the lead of the sickbay here?"

A small section of animals parted leaving a lone she wolf standing with her paw in the air. "I am…" she called, "Officer Felicia Smithe."

The black feline sighed. "Alright Felicia," as she said this the gangplank of the small transport she stood by fell to the deck allowing several people to file out of the ship, "I want you to escort Doctor Hamilton to the sick bay," she said turning to the large human, "Jeffery, I think you could help most by staying there and doing what you can to help the sick or injured."

The light gray-furred wolf made her way through the crowd until she stood before the man that stood over her. At first she was nervous, she'd never seen a human before, and like any other Lylatian her age, her youth was spent hearing stories about how barbaric and horrible humans were. As she finally looked at his face, Jeff bore a soft smile reaching his hand out to her…

"Hello…" he said, "Doctor Jeffery Hamilton. Most people call me Jeff."

The she wolf quickly jolted back, half expecting the strange creature to pull her arm off. However, the man's warm expression caused her to slowly reach her paw out, and take his hand. She quickly closed her eyes only to feel a very gentle grip before the man lightly shook her paw before releasing it. As she looked on this time the wolf sighed…

"Well…Doctor Felicia…" he started, "Shall we?"

Though a bit hesitant still, the lupine slowly turned, leading the human out of the docking bay. "Now everybody get back to your stations, except for whoever leads the engineers here…"

"That'd be me ma'am!" a large voice rose from the crowd as a young bear held up his paw, "Staff Sergeant Mason Hill."

"Alright, everyone but you get back to yours stations…" Vanity corrected herself, "Mister Hill, please come see me for a moment."

The tall ursine lumbered over as the large mass of animals dispersed. As he stopped in front of the General, Vanity looked up at him. On an exception of Creed, he had to be the largest animal she'd ever seen. The bear simply stood there looking about the small group of animals. Lia, Sia, Jade, and Nick were the only one's really there. Vanity had actually expected more of Krystal's team, only to find out that several small groups had left on their own personal agendas. It was however as she stood there that she sighed a bit…

"Sergeant Hill…" she said holding her paw out toward Nick, "This is Nick. I'll let him handle introductions later. I want you to show him around the maintenance quarter and to the ships. He can point out some things that we don't know about the Keizers. I just wish Alex was here."

"Don't worry about it…" Nick chuckled. "Alex won't be long. Randy just had some things to take care of. And trust me, it's better that they did what he set off to do."

It was well after Nick left the area with the ursine mechanic that Vanity allowed the others of the small ship to be shown to some open quarters on the ship where they could all get some rest. She then made her way to Bill's assault team, only to have a young yellow-feathered avian fellow rush up to her. He paused breathing heavily; apparently he'd been running for some distance. The feline General gave him a moment to catch his breath…

"General…" He huffed. "There's a ship…Omni ship…approaching, but it's using a Cornerian Transponder signal…and the captain refuses to go through any motions without your say so."

"Is the ship active?" Vanity asked.

The bird shook his head. "No ma'am. It's dead…communications are down and it seems to be out of fuel."

Vanity thought for a moment before looking to the small group that stood a short ways off from here. "BILL!" she called causing the canine to rush over, "Take a three man tow crew out and bring that ship in." As she said this Bill quickly moved out to the small group, picking out several pilots and having them board their ships with him. "As for you…" she said turning to the avian, "Relay a message to the captain. I want no firing on that ship. We have friends out there that may be piloting an Omni craft."

Vanity could only sit by and wait as Bill Gray's small team flew out of the docking bay, before shortly returning with the a small transport vessel towing slowly behind. The ships' landing gear did not engage as the Arwings' had, and there was a loud ear-shattering screech from the belly of the small ship dragging against the deck of the docking bay. Finally Vanity rushed up to the small ship as a number of armed soldiers surrounded the vessel. There were a few moments in which the ship simply sat there doing nothing, until the emergency release of the port side doors of the small ship completely fell away, a failsafe installed into most ships in case there was a crash or loss of power after landing so that the pilots and crew were not locked inside. As the vehicle seemed to lie slightly on its side, a white and red furred minx stepped out before reaching back in. What she pulled from the ship was a large, heavily bandaged human that Vanity instantly recognized as one of Jeff's teammates…as she watched on, Alex followed out helping lighten the load that the young minx carried on her shoulders…

"Somebody give us a hand he's bleeding to death!" the large man shouted.

As everyone hesitated Vanity shook her head, "You heard him! Get that man to the sickbay now!"

At the feline's horribly loud command, a large number of the soldiers that surrounded them rushed in taking the injured human from the two before heading toward the ship's sickbay. Vanity quickly made her way to the minx who seemed to be holding her ribs. She noticed that the minx's delicate white fur was saturated in the human's sanguine life force. Alex simply hunched over, coughing heavily. It wasn't until now that she noticed the smoke billowing from the door of the ship. Her questioning glance seemed to be all that they needed…

"We took out one of their bases…" Alex said, "Well Randy and Mika did."

"But…" Mika cut in as the human went back to catching his breath, "Several fighters made it out of there…so we made an emergency jump to the last coordinates Krystal gave us for your ship…we took several hits before the jump to hyperspace. When we finally got here…the ship was dead…it was horrible in there. There were electrical fires all over the place. If you hadn't brought us in when you did…we would have died…"

Vanity pulled on Mika's shoulders forcing her to look her in the eyes for a moment before they looked to the other soldiers. "Get these two to the sick bay as well. Smoke inhalation…and someone jettison that ship. It's nothing but dead weight."

**... ...**

Mika and Alex were rushed to the sick bay, where they were seated and given masks to breath through that pumped fresh oxygen to them. Mika instantly took notice to the look of the place; all white, little decoration, but soft beds that they were sitting on. She only hoped that Randy would be alright, but at the moment there really was nothing she could do. She and Alex were in bad enough shape as it was. It was as she looked over to the very end of the very long room where a curtain was drawn to block the view of the savagely injured man that Mika felt a large hand on her shoulder…

"Don't worry…about him…" Alex said between deep breaths, "Randy's a fighter…he always…has been."

**... ...**

The bright lights were all that he could see. Blurred figures hustled around him, and all sound was lost to him. All signs of pain had left the man long ago, all there was for him now was to wait. With Victor dead, there was nothing more that he needed to live for. He could feel a strange warmth pass over him as he slowly allowed his eyes to draw shut. All his life he had believed that death was cold and full of misery…but this was nothing like he'd imagined. He felt peaceful and warm, he felt like sleeping…so he did…

_Awakening with a fright, Randy shot upright. He had no idea where he was or what was happening. The last moment he could remember was lying there in some strange place while some people huddled around him. He slowly examined the area, until a faint sent caught his attention, lilac and cherry blossoms. As he kept his eyes closed, a breeze blue through the area causing the spray of fresh pedals to brush against his face. He knew these sounds and smells, and as he opened his eyes he beheld what he'd longed for so very long to see again. A small cabin sitting on a hillside, placed at the center of a grove of cherry trees, while the hills around were covered in fresh lilac and assorted wildflowers. The mountains in the distance were something he could scarcely recall, beautiful snow swept peaks reaching up into the sky. A short distance from the small cabin lay a small stone covered area where he recalled endless days of training in an effort to forget his shaded past. As he stood there in awe and wonder, he could feel the tears begin to roll down his cheeks, as for the first time in what seemed like ages a bright smile spread across his face…_

_Slowly walking down the hillside toward the old cabin, he lay out his hands, gently allowing the tall flowers and grass to pass through his fingers. He took his time walking. This was where he wanted to be, home…it had been so long since that word even crossed his mind, and yet it was the one thing that he wanted more than anything else. Finally stepping under an archway that led to the door of the cabin, he wondered. Why was he even here? Did he deserve this kind of place after all the things he'd done in his life? It wasn't until he pushed open the old sliding door to the small house that it dawned on him. He didn't deserve this…and it was nothing like he'd imagined. The home was empty, as were the training grounds, the fields, the hills, even the wind was empty. It was as he came to a divine realization that he slowly walked to the stoop of the small home and seated himself on the steps. At first he'd convinced himself that this was paradise, but it was what he was meant to believe. The smells and feelings were only there to draw in his hopes…this was hell for he was in the one place that he wished to be in…but he was alone. Never to see his family again, even after death. This was his punishment for all the lives he had claimed throughout his life. It had simply been a matter of time before his actions claimed his as well. He did not cry any longer, the only tears he had shed were those of false happiness. This was his hell, the one thing he'd always feared and yet constantly wrought upon himself…loneliness. And it was now and forevermore, his only companion…_

**... ...**

It was as Mika sat there in waiting that a single familiar shape stepped away from the curtained area, a large human, now covered in blood. His chin hung low against his chest before he looked to the ceiling, slowly pulling the blood-saturated gloves from his large hands. He took a deep breath before slowly walking toward the door of the room, only to stop for a moment to look at the minx. The mask she held slowly fell from her paw as she saw the look Jeff's eyes. It was the look of a man that had just lost his best friend…


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: **_Hey everyone, there is a breif apology following this chapter, but, do not worry it has nothing to do with me quitting, I am not nor have I ever been very good at quitting. It is simply an informative as to the current lack of updates. I am also sorry if this chapter does not stick out well, it has not yet been edited as for lack of time or computer...sorry...but thank you all..._

* * *

**…****Chapter 22…**

**Titanian Moon, Kaleet**

Krystal sigh was heavy with depression as she stepped out of the small ship her and Vixy had taken; they'd birthed the small ship just outside the city. The buildings were in shambles, rubble lined the streets and like last time she was here, Krystal could sense no active minds short of Vixy's and the two animals that were responsible for the city's terrible state. The sapphire furred vixen grimaced as they walked into the city outskirts; there was no life here; it was almost the polar opposite of the time her and Creed had come here on a job all those years ago. Back then there were so many minds and thoughts here in this city; now it's streets were littered with the rotting remains of it's people while the buildings around toppled around them. Vixy noticed the young vixen's expression and placed a paw on her shoulder, which caused Krystal to look around the ruined streets…

"This place was so alive the first time I came here…" She said, "…it's difficult to see it like this."

"As sad as it is to say it Krystal…this is a part of war," Vixy said looking out over the streets, "…in the end it doesn't matter what your intentions are, innocent people always get caught up in the middle."

It wouldn't have been so sad had it not been the undeniable truth; the smell of the city alone could tell your senses volumes about the number of animals that were buried under the rubble here. The two rushed along the streets making their way through the rubble filled streets before Krystal suddenly leaped to one side pulling Vixy to the ground with her, only in time for what appeared to be a manhole cover to skim by at a radical speed before tearing into an overturned vehicle on the side of the street like some sort of psychotic saw blade. Looking back to the large metal discus, Krystal realized that it had plowed through the car's engine and chassis before stopping, lodged into the space between the driver and passenger seats. The two vixen shared a glance of disbelief; even Creed would have had trouble throwing something that heavy hard enough to do such a thing…and he was physically the strongest animal Krystal had ever met. Krystal looked up to scan the area; suddenly something shot by the two vixen impacting the wall of a relatively standing building causing the wall to explode into a cloud of dust and rubble. The blue furred vixen quickly helped Vixy to her feet …

"Come on Vixy," The Cerinian said helping the older vixen to her feet, "we have to get away from here. That thing is gonna kill us. That isn't the one we want to talk to in that building."

As Vixy made it to her feet however, the dark figure that had stolen the Fox McCloud they both new stepped forward shaking the dust from his fur. The creature smiled toward the two before the stone beneath it impacted under the force of the leap that shot him into the air along side the building he emerged from. Krystal and Vixy both looked to the rooftop of the building high above the streets, where Krystal was certain that the fight was continuing. How did the other Fox get past them? They had not seen anything other than the dark creature that plowed through the building. Suddenly a creature that neither vixen could determine shot from the rooftop before the other seemed out after, colliding in the air before they both fell very rapidly to the ground. An instant before the small mass of animal smashed violently into an overturned, burning vehicle, Krystal managed to see that the darker of the two figures held Fox by the neck driving him back first into the ground. As the dust from the insanely violent impact settled, the sadistic, bloodthirsty, darker of the two stood, only to instantly be sent flying down the street from a vicious impact before the vehicle was forced apart down it's center, allowing Fox to emerge from the wreckage…

"I am happy that we are both disembodied," He said brushing his paw over his shoulder, "or I'd have died long ago. You have it with you?" He asked, "I am certain you'd have never returned without it," He paused for a moment to look at the blade in the vixen's paws, "it is incomplete…something is missing, and we don't have much ti…"

The vulpine's words were instantly cut off as the dark figure rushed into his body, driving them both into and through the building the figure had once hit. As the two of them vanished Krystal looked to the sword that rested in her paws. Vixy looked over the weapon with her…

"What could possibly be missing?" The pale vixen asked.

Krystal searched the weapon over; there was something, there had to be. However as she looked the blade over she could find no real missing piece. As she looked the weapon over, her finger ran over something of a familiar shape. It was something about the old headpiece of her staff; it was something so small and flawed that she could hardly believe she'd never noticed it before. Inside the center of the crystal headpiece in the middle of the blue jewel she felt a small recess…one that bared a very familiar shape. She quickly reached for the circlet she wore around her head. There had always been something about the golden trinket her mother had given her, all females of her tribe had worn them, but, for some reason the gem that hung down between her eyes, it was the only circlet she'd ever seen like it. Without a second though Krystal pulled the small gem from it's place, and pressed it into the recess she had found on the staff's old headpiece. The small red gem quickly sank into the blue stone as if they were both a fine liquid; they mixed about in a perpetually swirling mix of red and blue. As she looked on the symbols that marked the length of the staff turned from blue to a florescent red that moved along it's length before reaching the tip of the blade, where it poured out into the spiraling patterns along the blade. Krystal held up the sword now, she could feel a strange, peaceful, radiant warmth emanating from it. This was a feeling unlike anything she'd ever felt before, as if simply holding the blade was a robbing her of all her sorrows, her guilt, fears, everything was simply replaced by something pure and wonderful. So great was the feeling that washed over her that she could feel uncontrolled tears streak down her face…

"Krystal?" Vixy called laying her paw on the vixen's shoulder, "What's wrong dear? We have to get somewhere safe?"

"No…" Krystal quickly replied, "…I'm okay. We have to get this to Fox right now."

Rushing after the two clashing creatures, Krystal yelled out to Fox, as the lighter furred vulpine swung his opponent by his tail into a nearby fire hydrant then into the street before hurling him into the side of a building. Seeing the opportunity Krystal called out to him, hurling the weapon in his direction. In an instant the dark figure emerged from the wreckage of the small building, lurching out at the animal that festered the rage building up inside. Fox responded as the sword's handle met his paw, swinging about and riving the blade deep into the dark creature's gut before swinging him about and driving the tip of the blade into the ground pinning the bloodthirsty animal in place. The red light that traveled through the blade itself seemed to filter into the two that now touched it, moving through their skin and bodies until a massive beam of light shot from their place causing Vixy and Krystal to instantly avert their eyes. Only a few moments went by before a still wind blew through the area; causing Krystal to look to the spot. There, the sword stood buried in the asphalt of the street, before it's glow faded and the bladed pieces seemed to fall to the ground one after another leaving only Krystal's old staff standing for a moment before it fell to the ground. The blue furred vixen looked on; but, there was no Fox. As the staggering weight of the situation fell down around her the vixen's knees simply gave out causing her to fall to her knees. A tear trailed down the vixen's face as she stared at the decimated landscape where the staff lay, and in a chocked voice she could hardly believe her own words…

"H-he's not coming back."

… …

Silver shook his head for a moment, trying his hardest to stem the torrent of memories that flowed back to him as he approached the large space station ahead of him. According to the doctor's message his ship would be instantly accepted by the station's automatic transponder signal reader. A failsafe installed in the station itself that could instantly differ enemy ships from Omni ships, by reading an isolated signature unique to every ship every placed in production. There shouldn't have been a problem with that in the first place as he was flying an Omni ship, but, chances were that it was registered for the Nemesis, once word of that got through chances were he'd be in serious trouble. However there was never a single problems with the ship, he easily managed to pull the small ship in to dock with the station. It was at this point that he was certain someone would notice him but, as the cockpit of his ship hissed open several animals simply looked over his ship for any kind of maintenance that might be needed. As he looked about more memories flooded through his mind; the massive docking bay, he was certain could have even held the Nemesis, all ranges of ship lined the bay, for what seemed to go on forever. It was as Silver's gaze traveled over the spacious docking bay that his eyes locked on a brown furred ape that stood by in a white lab coat. Once the ape's eyes met with Silver's the doctor looked to the floor. Silver hesitated for a moment as he mulled this whole scene over; the doctor was…depressed. Silver sighed as he leaped from the small ship and headed over to the doctor who said nothing, he simply kept his eyes on the floor as he led the young vulpine out of the docking bay. A raccoon standing by Silver's ship watched as the two walked though the door and pressed a button on the communicator he wore…

"Sir…" He said calmly, "…you were right. The doctor just brought an animal on board the station. I've never seen him before…" He paused for a moment, "…about five foot six with silver fur."

There was a light chuckle over the end of the frequency, "Good…leave them be, have them watched though…closely. Do not give the silver one reason to fight. I had a feeling Thirteen would come here…but, why is he here?" The voice on the end of the line asked, "Stevens bring that prisoner to my office…Julius I believe his name was. I think it's time we reintroduced him to his friend."

… …

Vanity stood on the bridge of the Primrose looking out over the vastness of space, she'd only recently heard that Silver had actually rushed Omni's primary HQ; unfortunately that was the least of her problems as now she had gotten word of Creed and Roxy's little team that had recently headed in the same direction. So now her two options were to prolong the timing of her attack on Omni and risk Creed's little ship being shot down, or launch the strike now and assisting Creed's team in rescuing Silver while they could actually get through Omni''s defenses…

"General?" The tall captain of the ship called, "What is your command?"

Vanity sighed as she closed her eyes, "Battle stations, get us within strike range of that space station. Send the word to the other ships in the fleet. I want all flight hands down in the docking bay and ready to launch in fifteen minutes," She said heading for the door.

"General…" The captain called causing the feline to turn only to have the bear stoutly salute her, "…good luck."

Vanity smiled briefly before rushing out the door and down the halls, a siren blared all around her that she had always hoped she'd never hear again. Animals rushed all over the base in an orderly fashion as years of training had taught them…however, being the biggest single strike in Lylatian history, Vanity was certain that there was no possible way of having them prepared for what was about to happen. As she finally moved through the doors that led her to the docking bay, she was met by a line of animals to either side of her that all saluted on her way through until she stopped in front of the line up of pilots that stood by. As they all looked to her she realized what it was they were all expecting but, it was something that she'd always hated doing. As she stood there gathering her thoughts Bill stepped up beside her patting her on the shoulder. The feline smiled at him before looking out over the crowd that suddenly went deathly silent…

"I've never really been a good public speaker…" She pointed out, her voice carrying through the area, "…but, this isn't about me is it? It's about you, you and every other animal in the Trinity Accord. I don't like saying this but, if this entire situation had proven anything to me, it's that we've gotten too comfortable with relying on others to handle our problems. It pains me to say that Star Fox will NOT be here to pull our tails out of the fire this time…and I couldn't be happier to tell you the truth." Her words caused a small chatter to move through the group, "Like all of you I've grown up hearing stories over the news about Star Fox, and in some cases seeing it up front and first hand; but, even growing up I knew that we relied too much on Fox McCloud and his team, and when McCloud finally decided he'd had enough…we all turned out backs on him. I know you're all sorry but, if anything take this as an opportunity to show Fox what you really think. Show him that we don't need to rely on his team for the rest of our lives. Omni attacked us the way they did because they think we're weak…and you know what? They were right. All that time relying on Star Fox for our safety, we let our guards down because we were certain that they'd always be there to defend us, and because of that Omni slipped in right under our noses. I don't know when they did it, or care. The point here is that we need to show them how dead wrong they were when they decided to convince themselves that we weren't a threat…" An angered growl rose from the crowd, "…they've snuck in and stolen our homes, families, and they are the reason I was forced to take on Peppy Hare's position as General. They've robbed us of everything and now's our chance to take it back and show Fox once and for all that Lylat can be safe, with or without Star Fox to defend us." She said with a smile, "So what do you all say we make these bastards regret the day they were ever born."

A massive uproar rose up through the docking bay, causing Vanity to hold up her paw, which called the sound to simmer down…

"Good…" She said, "…the original attack plans still stand. My Archangel unit and Bill's unit will be still heading directly into the station. The Archangel units are the only ships we have that can actually make it inside the station without a problem. We're going to bring that space station down around their ears. We'll be relying on the rest of you, as well as the others from the rest of the fleet for support while we cut our way through Omni's defenses." She said, "Now let's go find the freak that's in charge of this company, and shove what's left of the joint Lylat armada up his ass."

As she finally dismissed the crowd they all rushed off to their respective fighters, and Bill followed Vanity to the Keizer that was waiting for her…

"Better…" The canine chuckled.

"Oh don't be a dick Bill…" She chuckled, "…I gave that my best shot. I told you I'm no good at speeches."

"I'm serious…" Bill replied, "…that wasn't all that bad. Got my blood boiling," He said looking to the ground, "then again, I did a lot worse then anyone else did toward Fox. I have a reason to be pissed off, more toward myself than Omni really."

Vanity placed her paw on Bill's shoulder, "Stop beating yourself up about this Bill…you had your reasons and I know for a fact that Fox fully understands your situation. Ayme needs you and so does your kid, any number of us would have done the same thing. Now lets go kick these guys in the ass, cuz I really wanna see that baby."

Vanity quickly boarded her Kaizer, checking over her systems before activating the suit's communication system…

"This is Arch-1 all units report." She called.

"Arch-2…online." Someone replied.

"Arch-3, I'm good."

"Arch-5, I'm with you general; but what about Arch-4?"

Vanity chuckled, "I've got something special in suit for Arch-4 just wait."

It was as they waited that a slightly larger Keizer approached them, it was something that at least Vanity had seen before with a helmet shaped in the likeness of a jackal …

"You gonna be alright in that thing?" Vanity asked.

The pilot inside the suit simply nodded, "You need to maintain radio silence…understand? All beacons and transponder signals have been removed. The cloaking mask that we've given the Anubis unit should be more than enough to keep all eyes and thoughts away from you when we sneak onboard the station. Your mission at that point is to find your way to the station's reactor core and take it out. Without power the life support systems will be shut off; and they won't be able to contact their ships. All of their fighters will be temporarily flying blind, they'll loose all links with their primary defense grid of the station." The feline took a moment to keep a private link between herself and the silent pilot, "listen, I know it's going to be hard…but, you're the only person I can trust to pilot that thing…I know that it's been hard these last few days, especially with what you've been through, but…right now it's all we can do. Think you can handle it?"

The pilot nodded lightly, "Good…lets get out there, we have to hit the station with our full force all at once."

Falling out of the massive battle ship and into the space between the formation of larger ship, Vanity looked around. To her right, left, and behind her there were hundreds of small ships full of animals ready to give their lives for this mission that she had put so much faith in. However, as she stood ready moving in formation with her men, the feline sighed noticing the massive space station that was slowly growing in the distance. It was funny they should have detected the fleet by now, but, for some reason they were not sending out any troops. Suddenly a familiar voice came through her communicator…

"General…it seems their long scanners are temporarily offline…they must be having some sort of troubles onboard," The captain of the Primrose's voice came through, "what do you want us to do?"

"Relay to all troops to aim for all docking bay openings and any turrets located on the space station itself," Vanity replied, "but, tell them to keep damage to the docking bays themselves to a minimum, no Novas and no missiles, we still need an entry point."

"Roger that General…"

Vanity took a deep breath before readying her Keizer, causing a three foot blade to project out over it's right fist, before she reached back pulling the R.W.C **(radiant wave cannon…didn't wanna spell it anymore ^_^)** into her left paw, "Get ready for hell boys! There's a small Triton class transport heading for that station, there are friendlies onboard, so we need to get to them before Omni does and get them inside the space station. At least with enough time for them to find our friend inside and extract him safely. Everyone else has orders to keep back until we initiate first contact, so lets get to that transport…" She called, "…Captain, as soon as there's heat send in the first three squadrons, then send in the rest, follow up with the battleships, we need to keep the main ships out of this as long as possible, they have a lot more men than we do right now, plus they have those automated Keizers. Have you reached that transport?"

"Yes General," The bear replied, "I'm patching the transmission through to you right now."

There was a moment of delay, "Rose?" A familiar voice asked.

"Roxy…I heard about your situation from Mika…" She pointed out, "…shut down your engines before you enter into their short range scanners' range, my team's going to escort you onto the station. Once we get there stay between my squad and Bill's. Alright?"

"Alright…" Roxy replied, "We're waiting."

Vanity looked to her small group, "Alright guys. You ready?"

Looking between the Keizers she received nods and thumbs up from all of them. She sighed with a large smile…she'd not flown in a danger zone in god only knew how long. Regardless however, the boosters behind her Keizer emitted a deep blue glow as the triangular blue sections on it's back lifted slightly angling back off the suit's shoulders like wings a bit. The G-diffuser would make the vehicle's absurd maneuvering capabilities much more sable than before; with another deep breath, the five Keizers shot forward. For all of the Trinity Accord this would prove to be a day of great victory or great defeat, there would be no regrets, live or die it would all be put on the line…one last time…


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:**_ Well everyone, it's been forever but, here's the rough chapter 23 if there are any large mistakes let me know but, for the time being I have simply not been able to do too much writing thanks to my job and a lot of shitty situations with the family. Anyhow, I'll just say that my stress level will kill me long before old age can ever manage too. Well enjoy the chapter, I look forward to hearing form all that regularly review my posts, and even more so to those of you that do not regularly review. ^^_

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox

* * *

  
_

**...Chapter 23...**

Vanity was jostled by yet another shot that struck against the sheilds of her Keizer; the impact slightly knocking her off course, her team's only real mission at this point was to get the small ship her unit surrounded into the Omni Corporation space station that hovered there above the planet in the distance. The feline's unit shot forward as she watched the unspeakable scene of carnage and silent death all around her. The fighting had broken out shortly after her unit had crossed into the station's short range scanner range; there were explosions and floating debris everywhere, once in a while a lost body would bound off of her Keizer's sheilds; she was disgusted by the sights...this was the one thing she'd hoped she'd never actually see as a pilot but, at the same time, there was no way around it now. The small group of Keizers suddenly altered their formation as they shot around a battleship that was enveloped in small explosions of fire that died out just as rapidly as they were formed. It was however as they shot around the fallen battleship that another came into view. A shot suddenly tore out of nowhere, causing the furthest unit to the left of Vanity's unit to suddenly explode. The feline growled in anger...

"Arch 3 is down," She called through her headset, "Arch two and five follow my lead. Everyone else stick to the plan and get that ship onto that space station."

The unit quickly broke formation causing two of the small suits to cut off toward the battleship, "Where the fuck is Arch four?" A voice shot through Vanity's headset.

"Don't worry about it!" She shouted back, "just stick to the plan!" It was as she paused and readied the cannon that her suit carried that something began to swarm from the ship.

The unit that flew beside her backed off as he noticed the cannon she was holding charging and it's barrel beginning to emmit a dense blue glow, that slowly increased to a much deeper darker color, "General!" The animal in the other suit shouted, "What are you doing! You were told not to overcharge the cannon! You're gonna kill yourself!"

The sudden blast from the weapon was brighter than anything she'd ever seen. The feline let out a shrill scream as a shocking pulse surged up her arm and through her body. The shock of pain set her body on fire. She was warned what might happen if she overloaded the cannon, but, it was worth it to buy her friends enough time to get everything done. Her sight began to fade as the blast from the cannon subsided, leaving behind a mass of debris from the destroyed swarm of ships. Vanity could hear a far off distant voice from her communicator, her sight finally faded to black as her last sight was of a battleship in the distance, that slowly crawled toward her, it's weapons cutting through everything in the ship's path…

… …

_Randy had lost every ounce of what he'd come to see in himself as he sat there on the steps of that old log cabin; he wasn't surprised when he began to see things, small flickers of people that he once new, scenes that he'd once lived playing out before his eyes. All of his past regrets and laments being forced back onto him in some hideously torturous game, but, this was less than what he deserved in his own eyes. He'd killed for every reason there was to kill for; money, hatred, revenge…all in the name of his own selfishness. Days would pass, and still he'd sit there, never growing hungry, never thirsty, never in need of rest…this was his fate, to watch as his past mistakes in life tormented him for the rest of eternity. Even his senses began to belie him; as he closed his eyes hoping the visions would go away, he felt a tear trail down his cheek which he attempted to flick away, only to find that it was no tear. Whatever it was carried with it an aroma that he'd almost forgotten; a feint mixture of berries and flowers, oddly reminiscent of a fragrance worn by the woman whom he'd given everything up for, only to have her robbed from him. It was another trick, and even when the feeling of a tear grazed his cheek, letting him realize that it was actually the feeling of soft, velvety hair blowing against his face, he refused to open his eyes, as he was simply certain that it would turn out to be another illusion, but, the presence he felt beside him was no illusion…_

"_Why are you here, spirit?" He asked keeping his eyes closed as he kept his gaze to the ground, "to remind me of more mistakes?"_

_There was a light chuckle that seemed to echo through the landscape despite how utterly soft and gentle it was, "No…" It replied in an soothing tone, "…I am here because I choose to be. Do you know why you're here?"_

_The young man sighed opening his eyes even though he still looked to the gravel covered ground, "Because I screwed up…" He replied, "I always knew what I was doing was wrong. That's why I stopped doing it," He said finally turning his head slightly, only to see a heavenly form with long flowing hair that blew against his face, "I just though, that if there was any sort of salvation for what I'd been doing my whole life…it was with you."_

_He turned his head away as he felt a warm hand caress his face, "Randy…salvation isn't something I could have ever given to you. It is something that you have to earn for yourself; I could never have given you salvation, neither could my father, or our daughter…the only person that ever needed to forgive you, was yourself."_

_Randy pulled his head to one side rejecting her hand as he did so, "How could I ever deserve to be forgiven? When I let you all die? I swore I'd always protect you…"_

_This time the apparition reached over taking his face in her hand and forcing to look into the deep green eyes of the only spirit he could never look in the eyes again, "Fool…" She chuckled resting her forehead against his for a moment, "…we never needed your protection," She said as he closed his eyes causing the figure to dissipate into the wind, "we only needed your love."_

… …

Silver found it hard to accept that the old ape in front of him was actually leading him through the ship, passing off that he was some sort of visitor or something, whatever it was the animal was up to something, the silver furred vulpine simply couldn't put his finger on what it might be. His suspicions of the ape were far greater than anyone could have known; once he'd woken from the cryogenically induced stupor that he'd been under all this time, this one animal was on his mind the most, the doctor was the only real person that could answer any of the questions that he still had, despite all the gunfire and explosions that rocked the place Silver's attention couldn't be drawn away from the Venomian, one false move, one attempt at something that Silver disagreed with and he wouldn't hesitate to rip the doctor in half, even if he did have all the answers that Silver longed for. It wasn't until he realized where they were headed that the doctor spoke up…

"I imagine you have a lot of questions," The ape suddenly said, "I really do wish I could answer them for you. In short, we made a mistake and right now the cooperation is paying for their crimes, and soon enough so will I; but, not before I set things right. I cannot let another innocent life end up like you. It is very little but, all I have that I can offer you is my apology."

Silver sighed, "I think Fox would have done his best to believe that you're telling me the truth," He said, "but, how can I trust someone that would make something like me out of a living being, that never even had a chance to have a normal life?"

The ape sighed with a chuckle, "You've become incredibly bright over these years," He said, "it is amazing to know that you've become what you are now without any pushing, or help on our part. Having you frozen like that was all I could really do…" He said, "…the CEO was going to have you killed, but, when you lost it back then because you heard that your favorite person in the world had been killed, I realized that…no matter what we did, or how hard we tried, we'd never be able to remove that part of you that was still a living person. You can't reprogram a soul, I believe she would have said."

Silver thought for a moment, had the doctor actually had him froze to keep him from being killed?

"You…why would you do that?" Silver asked, "it would have been more decent to simply let them kill me."

The ape shook his head, "No, Silver. You don't believe that," He said, "when I saw that look of fear in your eyes back then, I knew…I just knew that I could not let them kill you…you were so innocent. You were only a child," He said, "despite what the CEO thinks, you are a living thing, no matter what we did to you, and now I need your help…" He said stopping at a familiar looking door where he turned about to look at silver, "…you have to take Eve out of here, I was hoping it wouldn't happen again but, our hold on her is degenerating even faster than yours did…and He's already assured me that if the same should happen to her, he'll have her killed on the spot to make certain he won't have another rogue weapon like you on the loose only to have it turned on him like you were."

"Eve?" Silver asked, "she woke up? Where is she?"

The ape tilted his head toward the door to his right, "Inside, but, you have to stay calm while I explain this to her, she's in a sensitive state right now and as far as she's aware you're still just a random animal that tried to hurt her."

As they stepped into the room the young platinum furred vixen dropped off of her seat on a metal table; she bared her teeth and claws at the intruder, and the fur on her shoulders stood on end…

"EVE!" The doctor shouted jumping in front of Silver, "stop that right now!" He demanded causing her ears to lay flat across the top of her head, her eyes went to the floor and she turned walking slowly back to her seat, "Eve, I know you probably don't understand this right now but…this person is not your enemy. If anything you are his sister…he is your older brother Eve."

The vixen tilted her head, "Doctor?" She paused looking at Silver for a moment, "I am…afraid…"

The ape made his way to her stroking her arm, "You don't need to be afraid of him Eve, he will not harm you…" He assured her, "all of that before was simply a misunderstanding. Listen to me though, you have to go with him now, understand. You remember that thing we talked about? Death? Well if you stay here now that is what will happen to all three of us."

Silver stepped forward causing the vixen to cut her eyes at him aggressively, she was clearly trying to protect the doctor, "Eve," He said holding his paw out to her, "I am not going to hurt you, or him…I promise, but, you have to come with me now or you and I are both gonna die here, okay?"

Turning away from Silver the vixen threw her arms around the doctor, who sighed as he patted her back, "Eve…listen to me," He said, "I know you may not understand this right now, but, you gave me back the little piece of the man I used to be…thank you."

Silver quickly took Eve's hand and rushed out of the room practically dragging her behind him; he rushed through the ship's halls taking one turn after another until he found his way to the massive docking bay where his ship sat in waiting, unfortunately, as he and Eve entered the massive hanger, they found themselves standing before three platinum furred vixen all of whom were dressed much like Eve was when he'd first run into her. It was as they stood there and stepped toward Silver that he pushed Eve behind him, there was something about these three that bothered him very much, and as he prepared himself to defend Eve, a familiar animal stepped from behind them…

"You…" Silver snarled.

The CEO chuckled, "Well of course it is me," He said good guess though he replied laying his paw on the shoulder of the vixen nearest to him, "meet Viki, Niki, and Miki. The three prototypes that we based off the figurative data that we collected from your run in with Eve there so long ago," He smiled, "see these three are nothing like you or that little vixen behind you. These are androids no biological material to fuck up this time, no free thoughts, no free will, just cold, hard, data driven CPUs. This was the purpose behind Silver Fox in the first place you know. Once I have an army of these Androids…I'll float through the entire Trinity Accord, they will live with the regret of what they have done…and once they see my face they will realized just what it was they had done…"

A young mink walked out of a small shop, several small bags hung from her arms; she'd been shopping all morning for some things that she'd need for her special day, she'd be getting married in only a few days but, as she walked pass a dark alleyway, only to have a rather well built red fox stumble out into the open. His brilliant green eyes were highlighted by a large burn scar across his eyes and muzzle that robbed the area of any fur at all. It was as he looked about breathing heavily that the mink dropped her bags slapping her paws over her mouth as she realized that this fox was not only well endowed, he was fully nude. He suddenly turned to her and grabbed her by the shoulders…

"Listen this is really important where the hell am I?" He asked.

Freaking out a bit the girl struggled until he shook her causing her to freeze as she got a clear look at him…

"Oh my god…" She said stepping back, "…yo-you're…Fox McCloud."

The vulpine sighed, "Yes I am but, listen to me…"

"You killed all those people on Corneria…" She gasped stepping back even further.

Fox shook his head, "No…listen that wasn't…that wasn't me," he placed his forehead in his paw, "…listen I don't have time for this shit. WHERE AM I!"

His outburst caused her to physically flinch, "Rittera…you're in the Dan'jas system."

Fox suddenly turned and rushed down the street stopping for a moment as he noticed his own anatomy slapping against his legs as he ran; he took a moment to look around before looking up, "Couldn't have let me keep my clothes on huh?" He asked, "Just drop me in the middle of some shit hole of a planet…" He said looking around, "…talking to the sky with my stuff on display…" He looked to the onlookers that had gathered around, "pants, shorts, underwear…I know you people don't want to just stand her on a street corner staring at…" He was cut off by the flash of a camera causing him to chuckle, "…well obviously she does," Suddenly a pair of jean shorts flew in his direction which he quickly slid on, "I didn't see who did that but, thank you." He said breaking through the crowd, "…oh god I hope I'm not too late please tell me that I'm not too late." He coersed himself as he rushed down the semi-familiar streets.

Finally after a time of running as fast as his legs would carry him, the young fox burst into a hanger and very quickly rushed to a small fighter type ship that was clearly being run for a test, as it's engines were fired up but, it's cockpit was wide open. Not wasting even a moment, Fox leaped up onto the nose of the fighter before flipping into the pilot seat. As the air latch closed over him he could see the Otter mechanic outside the ship shaking his fist and yelling as the small ship lifted off…

"Krystal…" He breathed heavily from his exertion, "…I'm coming."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24….**

Silver slid across the floor hitting the far wall, the three vixen that stood before him were not normal, the weren't organic, they were machines. Every time he landed a punch it felt like his bones were cracking, and every time they hit him he was certain that his bones did crack. He suddenly however shot across the short expanse of hallway driving his foot into the first automaton's gut sending it into the wall, while causing him to cringe as he was certain that he'd actually broken his foot. However, he drove through clutching the second robotic vixen by the throat before swiping her about into the body of the third, before he leaped at the CEO, his intentions had been to kill this animal before he could do anything to his friends; the family that he'd acquired since waking up in that stasis tube so long ago. Something however shot by tackling him to the ground where he found one of the three vixen holding his arms to the floor while sitting on his midsection. The CEO wiped away a small spat of blood from his face left by the claws of the young silver furred vulpine, had he only reached another inch or so Silver would have torn his head completely off. However as she held him down the cocky red furred vulpine stood over him and glanced over at Eve who simply cowered against the far wall shivering intensely…

"It is sad that she had to develop the same instinctive problems as you," He shook his head, "Eve was such a promising venture in unlocking that determination that a machine simply cannot recreate. It always has been the spirit of a living thing that has made all machines basically obsolete. They'll carry out commands and simulate actions that their processors learn, but, in the end they cannot think in the moment. That is until that human fellow developed the A.I program used for these prototypes. Not artificial intelligence, rather a learning system completely proportionate to the world around it. Infinitely learning software, which means the more you fight back, they more they'll learn. Soon enough an army of these wonderful machines will teach them all what they've done."

"What who did?" Silver asked struggling against the thing that held him down.

"EVERYONE…" The CEO shouted, "…they turned their backs on me as soon as they could, they forgot about me, just like they forgot about everyone else; and Pepper, the son of a bitch was behind all of it. Even Peppy knew, and he didn't do a thing to stop it, everything that led to this point is their fault…and now they're all going to pay," He said turning about, "once you've finished with him, kill the spare."

As he walked away the vixen that mounted Silver rose her hand with her fingers directed at him like the point of a spear, however as the android drove it's hand down at him, Silver's head shifted to one side causing the robot's arm to become lodged in the thick metal floor panel beneath him, buying him the opportunity to slide out from under her and sweep his leg into the arm causing the metal appendage to give way and snap loose. The automata staggered back as Silver slid over to Eve's side glaring at the robot with murderous intent that shone from his bright red eyes…

* * *

The remaining three of the original five Arc units that Vanity had led slid into the hanger of the large ship producing their onboard weapons, opening up a small warzone within the docking bay as a small ship docked with the massive space station. A large fox rushed down the gangplank of the small ship with a massive shield in front of him which seemed to stop any sort of shot that met it's surface. As he rushed down the plank his shield met the face of a raccoon completely collapsing his face as Roxy stepped out of the ship just a short way behind him, though she was not the most battle savy creature on two legs, that didn't stop her from rigorously firing at any creature she could lock her sights on, the only thing on her mind was that Silver was somewhere aboard this station and she'd not stop until she found her way to him. Behind her a young cheetah peered out into the hanger…

"Creed! You two go on ahead," She called, "I'm going to hack this station's mainframe and clear you guys a path make sure you stay in contact with me understand?"

Roxy rushed up to Creed taking cover behind him as more and more of the surrounding soldiers shots seemed to bound off of his shield, "You're pretty good with that thing for someone that doesn't like guns." He said.

"Desperate times I guess…" Roxy replied, "…besides that this is just aftermath they really seem more interested in those three." She said looking to the three robotic suits that at the moment were engaged by a horde of soldiers as well as a small number of supposedly automated Kaizers.

"I can't say I blame em really," Creed replied leading toward the doors that led the two into a small hallway where Creed's shield seemed to collapse on top of itself before vanishing into a small node on his wrist, "Jane you in the system yet?"

Jane chuckled, "Whatta ya say first?"

Creed sighed, "This isn't really the time…" He shook his head, "…you're a genius, that what you wanna hear?"

"Yep…" Jane's voice replied giddily over their com link, "…you're in the right hall, just head straight down that hall and you'll find another that branches off to the left about seven hundred yards ahead."

"Gotcha." Creed nodded taking off with Roxy beside him, "listen gorgeous, I need you to tap into the surveillance feed and…"

"Three steps ahead of ya Stud…" Jane replied, "…he's on the third main deck, hall seventy-four, secotor 27-x. I don't know what's going on right now but you're gonna wanna make this fast, there are three vixen up there and they're taking it to him pretty hard."

Upon hearing this Roxy rushed off ahead of Creed, leaving the large vulpine to pick up the slack between them as he lumbered after her…

* * *

Bill's ship rocked violently as a Nova Bomb exploded close enough to his Interceptor to cause the shields to give him a hit warning, his ship's lasers sliced through the hull of another enemy ship as he looked over the advanced HUD of the captain class fighter he'd been given that displays the online status of any fighter in his small squadron, as he did brought this up something came up on his screen warning him of an unmarked ship that was blaring through the place with an incredible intent, and maneuvers that he'd not seen in years; in what seemed like an instant more than a dozen ships were cut out of this unknown fighter's path as he barrelled through the war zone, completely uncaring for what damage might come to itself of the pilot that manned it. Bill instantly locked onto the ships' signature and gave chase, there was something familiar about the way it was moving that he couldn't put his finger on, and as he watched the ship shoot into the foreground spinning wildly as it seemed to head directly for the station's nearest docking bay, who's doors were quickly closing. Suddenly, as the mysterious pilot attracted unwanted attention something caught Bill's attention. The fighter launched into a dizzying barrel roll while at the same time moving the ship itself into a tight spiral making it nearly impossible for a system to actually lock onto it…the movement resembled that of a corkscrew and was something that Bill had only seen once. The small ship was rocked slightly by a large silent explosion as Bill's weapons cut through it's hull igniting the fuel cells that powered the ship before looping his own ship about into a perfect U-turn and looking back over his shoulder to watch the unmarked ship plow through the closing doors of the docking bay…

"Go get 'em buddy."

* * *

As the docking bay doors closed the three Arc units that had made it into the docking bay laid waste to everything in site hoping to attract all the attention they could while the small team could make it into the bowels of the ship. It was as one of the Arcs wrestled with an enemy Keizer that a loud explosion distracted them both before a flaming ball of debris slid across the deck taking the unmanned Keizer out before colliding with the far wall. For a short time nothing happened, the keizers went right back to fighting each other, while the cockpit of the vehicle burst from the pile of rubble allowing a familiar looking chestnut furred fox to stumble out before falling down, and finally climbing back to his feet. He shook his head before looking about only to have a strange robot rush up to him. It was large, and it's head was slightly decorated to look like that of a Jackal. The strange looking machine bent forward however looking him over before turning back to the docking bay…

"They headed down the main hall…" A familiar voice echoed from the machine before it was tackled out of the way by another like it.

Fox rushed out of the Docking bay down the halls of the massive space station following a path of dead soldiers as he picked up an assault rifle; several of them looked as if they'd been sliced through, while others were…

"Just one of many reasons it's not smart to piss her off." He sighed before looking about only to find two sets of bloody footprints leading in one direction, "but, why do I keep feeling like I need to go this way?" He asked himself looking the other direction.

* * *

Silver hit the far wall of the hall before sliding to the ground; the strange vixens that had attacked him grouped together while the third seemed to simply pick up it's severed arm, jamming it back into place, causing the metal to seemingly come to life binding the separation back together. Silver slowly climbed to his feet but, as he stood the animal simply stumbled a bit falling against the wall. The red light faded from his eyes as he looked to Eve who watched as his eyes went wide and his hand went to his chest; as he looked up there was a small stream of blood falling from his eyes and nose; and in a blur of unreal speed the silver fox shot across the hall. The movement was so sudden and brutal that one of the three metal females was thrown into the wall while another flipped over his body onto the ground before he collided with the one that had just replaced it's arm. The vixen had attempted to react with a blade that slid from it's wrist but, in the same blur of speed and strength, Sliver snapped the arm from it's shoulder swinging about and driving the blade, hand, and forearm of the robot's arm up through it's chin causing the appendage to burst from the top of it's skull spraying oil, wires, and shards of varying debris into the air before the robot hit the ground, it's mechanical limbs shacking and clattering about the ground as it's systems still attempted to function without it's central processor. Another of the two lunged at him but, in a speed that it's processor could not even begin to follow Silver shot about gripping the back of it's neck and slamming the automaton into the wall of the hall before plunging his other hand into it's back tearing out an almost perfect metal representation of a spinal column with the bot's head still dangling from the end..

Unfortunately as he backed away from the destroyed robots, Silver fell to one knee breathing heavily, before choking up a large clot of blood onto the floor. Something caused him to grip his chest with both paws as he let out a silent scream of pain, falling to his back. His back arched off the ground and the third robot charged before being cut off by the figure that had made it a short ways down the hall…

"So this is what it looks like when the nanite overload your central nervous system…" He said looking to a device on his wrist, "…ninety eight percent power, not even fully awakened…maybe this one wasn't as strong as I'd hoped. Still two of my advanced droids, maybe they aren't perfect but, if that was what it takes to kill one, nothing is going to stop me," He said turning around, "finish them both…"

As the clattering android approached Silver; Eve rushed to his side tugging at his fur in an attempt to get him back up. However the robotic vixen stepped over them causing Eve to throw herself down onto Silver in fear; but, nothing happened, instead she opened her eyes and looked up, only to see the robot standing over them still, frozen completely as small sparks of electricity arched around the black knife protruding from the back of it's head. Far down the hall stood another fox, whom didn't take his eyes off the CEO; instead he stepped forward…

"I knew that dream meant something," He said, "at first I just thought it was the darkness fucking with my mind again…but, it wasn't until I was headed in this direction that I realized what that strange feeling was. I always knew you were alive…I just didn't think you'd lost your mind…dad, why?"

The animal suddenly turned around, "Why?" He asked, "Son do you even realize how much is actually wrong with what you just asked me?" He replied, "Think about it. I fought my entire life for people that I thought, at the very least, respected me. It wasn't, however, until they thought I was dead that I saw their true colors. Nothing but a gaggle of glorified morons struggling with an existence that only has one…possible…outcome…" He said, "…chaos. The more we try to settle the chaos the more it spreads, during your own time with Star Fox didn't you notice that you were the only one trying?"

Fox refused to respond for a moment, "Chaos is nature dad. You can't stop it, and anyone that thinks they can is completely insane."

"But, I have discovered a cure son," James replied looking out the window, "if I flood the galaxy with nothing but chaos…if I remove every element of law and order. This galaxy will inevitably fall apart. Only the people that deserve to live will survive. I have found a way to make it all possible. We can all start over, back from what things should have been to begin with."

Fox lowered his eyes to the floor, "How long? How long has this all been you?"

James chuckled, "Fox, don't you get it? It was always me; Andross, he was your godfather, my closest friend, without his help none of this could have been possible. We set up Vixy's, so called, accident so that I could bring the two of you back here with me. By the time I got back to you though, Peppy had taken you under his wing and he was closely watching you at all times…I couldn't have reached you then if I had tried, and Omni was still a new idea fresh in it's birth stage…my troops would have been demolished. But, as the years passed I found that it was possible, with the help of the most elaborate minds in the galaxy, to built technology at a far greater rate than even Corneria and Katina put together. Unfortunately when your mother was brought to me she had….less than kind words. Eventually she attempted to escape and I was forced to throw her lot in with her real family. You see I needed a Cerinian to activate the weapon that will cleanse this galaxy of the filth. It wasn't until I saw what happened with the old compound that you destroyed that I realized I had the Cerinian that I needed the whole time…in you son."

Fox shook his head, "Listen to yourself dad…you're completely out of your fucking mind. You're just willing to kill everyone? Just like that? No warning, no reasoning? Me, Krystal….Mom?"

The elder fox sighed again, "Yes, I am afraid that if it comes to the galaxy destroying itself, and my sacrificing everything to see it's safety. Then yes, I would gladly sacrifice even myself to do so."

James' lip curled as a familiar black knife slid into view from behind Fox's back, "Do you really think that's a good idea son? After all…" He said producing an almost identical knife, "…do you really intend to kill your father?"

Fox narrowed his eyes, "My father died twenty years ago; his name was James McCloud. He cared about his family, his friends, and the people and way of life he gave his own life to protect," He replied readying his weapon, "you are just as psychotic as Andross ever was. You threatened my mother, my family, and the single most important person in my life," He sighed, "nobody will ever hurt Krystal again, so your only option through all of this is through my dead body."

It hardly made sense that after all the years of wishing that his father was alive, so that he could tell him all the things that a father and son should share…that their final meeting would be like this. As he looked across the hall, Fox could see everything he'd imagined he'd have become when he grew up, every hope and dream of his childhood, ready to murder him for a psychopathic cause…

* * *

The ships of the massive station's docking bay lay in shambles; smoking debris lay scattered across the room and among them stood the Keizer units that had infiltrated the docking bay. One of the large, armored soldiers made their way to the control panel, and quickly opened the ship's bay doors. Allowing a small fighter to land inside, the standard Cornerian fighter's cockpit slid open allowing a white furred Mink to leap from the cockpit, leaving behind a familiar pilot…

"Bill…I'll go help the others…" She shouted, "…make sure your group keeps this area clean we need a safe blast zone for when this place blows."

"You got it Mika…" Bill replied, "…just make sure you all come back alive."

The Mink very quickly rushed off through the halls, finding nothing but empty halls and mayhem in her path. It wasn't until she came across her first intersection that the Mink looked to the left; she could smell something familiar, something she couldn't fully identify, but, in the opposite direction she could clearly smell the familiar scent of a large red fox sweating heavily. Turning her head to look down the right hall, she narrowly managed to tuck and roll out of the way of a kick than make an acoustically sound thud against the wall. The person that had thrown the kick was a slightly tall blonde woman…

Mika smiled, "I thought I smelled something."

The human lady sighed, "You know…I think I will keep that skin of yours once you're dead…" She smiled, "…you'll make a handsome stole. To think that I'll be the first woman within that last six hundred years to own an actual article of Mink fur…"

Mika sighed heavily, "Listen ugly…" She growled, "…I've already lost one friend thanks to you pricks. I'm not about to loose anyone else."

"Well then…" The human replied, "…I guess your only way to them is through me."

Mika pulled a familiar pair of black gloves from her back pocket before sliding her hands into them, and pulling them tightly. The mink lunged in at the blonde human, not wasting a moment in her attack. Though her first punch came up short, blowing over the human's head, the woman seemed to react a moment too slowly before the mink made a full spin driving the back of her fist across the woman's face reeling her back into the wall behind her. Like a shot, the young, pale furred warrior lurched forward digging her shoulder forcefully into the woman's stomach. The sudden rush was followed by a flurry of assaulting blows who's combined speed would have been difficult to follow. Every punch, every kick was made audible by a loud crack…the human's bones, her own knuckles, the pain in her firsts was blocked out.

Growing up, Mika developed a horrible anger management problem, her uncle's training paid off in that it helped her to control her anger, channel it as if she held a weapon. Every time she recalled ever hitting someone, enemy or otherwise. Unfortunately for this human target however; the mink had suffered one recent loss too many. Randy had reminded her so much of her uncle, and she'd never told him the truth; his mannerisms, his outlook, everything had been the same as the only person that had every given her hope that she could accomplish anything. Her uncle had been the only father figure she'd ever known, and with Randy bringing back so many of those old feelings, and suddenly being torn away from her just as her uncle had been…it was just too much to hold in anymore.

The human woman's body cracked under the force delivered by every powerful shot, until her cries of pain faded into nothing more than the choked attempts to vocalize, that sprayed the mink with blood. Suddenly with a uncharacteristic cry of rage, Mika gripped the woman by her long hair. From this double fisted grip on the woman's hair, Mika spun her about before pulling her down, causing her back to arch over her knee with a resounding crunch. By the time Mika recovered from her blind fit of rage, the mink's face was spattered with small spots of red, the woman's face was no longer recognizable as anything less than a red and pink mash of flesh and blood. Looking over her own broken knuckles, Mika interlaced her fingers, stretching them out enough to set her injuries. For a brief moment the Mink's mind flashed back to the time she'd stood over the body of the young male she'd done the same thing to when her uncle had trained her. It was an amazing thought that a human had meant so much to her…but, it was far too late to make a difference…

* * *

Krystal rushed off with such speed that Vixy found a difficult time in simply keeping up with the young Cerinian. However, the rush that shot through her system was familiar to her. Her mind very quickly went back to all the times she'd attempted to escape from the prison Omni had heald her in; her biggest hope was to end all of this before Fox was forced to realize that it was all at fault of his own father, whom he most likely still believed to be dead. It seemed all too sudden when Krystal froze and yanked Vixy back toward her, only to very quickly notice a familiar looking form that shot into the hall from an open doorway. The animal that bounded off the floor, slamming into the wall very quickly leaped up, planting his feet into the wall just above where a second, almost identical assailant drove a foot into the wall, which would have clearly crushed the first animal's skull. The much young looking of the two quickly sprung from his hold on the wall driving himself and the older person back into the room they'd come from…

"That was Fox," Krystal shouted rushing forward only to be pulled suddenly back by Vixy, "what are you doing?"

"If you get in the way James will use you or myself as an advantage," She said, "it is better now to simply let this all play out. It may be hard but, Fox can handle this…" She sighed, "…that's not the same man I married."

Fox and James stood in the hall a short distance from one another; both their weapons dripped with the blood of the other. A large gash lay across James's chest, while Fox's right arm seemed to be hanging lifelessly due to the stab wound in his upper shoulder. No words were exchanged, in fact other than their incredibly labored breathing, neither of the two winded fighters moved a muscle; they had both taken the moment to catch their breath. Fox quickly tore away what remained of his white, blood stained shirt, and used it to tie his limp right arm to his chest. This would keep the flailing appendage from getting in his way, as well as keep him from injuring it any further than he already had. The moment his head lowered to pull the knot tight with his teeth, James shot across the expanse, an unfortunate attempt that his young son had clearly seen coming…

Almost instantly, Fox seemed to drop to a seated position on his heels, before spinning about, swiping an outstretched leg across his fathers, causing the older vulpine to flip into the air. In the same motion, Fox left the spin, leaping into the air and driving a full kick into James's chest, sending the animal tumbling across the floor and his weapon flying back out the door the two had recently left the room through. James groaned as he slowly crawled to his feet. The old fox smiled as he realized his ribs had been broken, his son was many times more powerful than he'd previously given him credit for. The kick he admitted felt as through it should have collapsed his entire chest; but, nothing was about to hold him back from his goals. James seemed to stumble a bit as he lurched forward, only to quickly straighten up his position. The unorthodox method of attack seemed to allow James's punch an opening, as his fist came up under Fox's guard, driving the wind from his lungs. Fox gasped loudly as James spun about driving the side of his hand into the back of Fox's neck causing the young vulpine's vision to blur instantly as his body was thrown to the ground. Fox managed to move out of the way as the older fox came down from above, his attack clearly meant to cause his knee to break Fox's neck. A kick to the back of James's head caused the older fox to roll forward onto his back. Where he quickly flipped onto his hands driving both feet back into Fox's face, causing the young vulpine to roll across the floor.

Fox groaned in pain as he slowly found his way to his feet, before he spit a small puddle of blood that was filled with the shattered remains of one of his teeth. James wasted no real time in rushing in on the young fox, driving his fist into Fox's chest, before landing an uppercut across his son's chin before his knee caused Fox to buckle to one knee. James turned and walked slowly away from Fox, taking his time in catching his own breath for the time being…

"I…have to admit…" He said as he took careful breaths, "…you are definitely a Viper, I believe that little girlfriend of yours has also taught you a thing or two."

Fox found it nearly impossible to speak, "I…wish this could have all been different Fox, I really do. I was hoping that you would come along with me…you know how some things must be sacrificed in order to accomplish what is right."

Fox growled, "I'm through…" He huffed, "…giving everything for nothing. Sacrifice is not right, no matter if it's of yourself or others."

"I loved you and your mother very much Fox," James said, "but…"

Fox suddenly stood up, "Stop trying to cover it all up!" He shouted, "You never cared! If you had then you never would have left, you wouldn't have put mom in prison, tortured her…you wouldn't have put me through all of this," He said, "it may have taken that thing inside of me to show me the truth but…I did realize something before Krystal and mom saved me…"

"What might that be?" James asked.

"I've killed countless people," Fox replied, "worst of all, I realized that I didn't care or even remember any of them anymore. When it came down to the brass tax of it all…Krystal was the only real thing on my mind. I learned that if your only cause in life is to protect everyone…if every life is more important than yours, then you'll never know what it's like to care about anyone more than yourself . Because the fact is that you never cared about yourself at all."

James sighed, "That is very inspiring son," He said, "but, you know well that this is a fight you can't win."

"You're not my father," Fox growled, "you're just another ANDROSS!"

The blind furry in Fox's eyes was only matched by his ear shattering battle cry as he rushed in. His mind had gone blank during the whole thing, the father he'd known no longer existed; the creature before him was nothing more than a monster. Unfortunately Fox quickly came to realization that something was not right, as his body stopped. His knees gave out, bringing him to his knees. The burning in his chest was something that he'd never experienced, even when that shard had been buried in his body. James smiled brightly as Fox simply sat there clutching his chest…

"You see I've also learned a few things from your mother," James sighed, "like how to strike a pressure point only enough so that it comes to cause this kind of pain more than a minute later. Hurts like hell doesn't it? First time I was ever hit by it I thought I was having a heart attack."

As James looked on the young fox's eyes closed before jutting open showing a pure white gloss. James laughed as he noticed the walls around him slowly beginning to bend inward while groaning in protestation of the force at work. This was clearly what had destroyed Omni's compound that had been raided by Fox's team, he knew that it had all been too powerful to be considered anything Cerinian and now James knew what it was in truth. It seemed almost immediately that the scenery nearby simply melted away, the colors of a ship softly ran away like wet paint revealing an open and familiar landscape. James looked about only to realize that the surroundings were nothing more than jungle greenery, the light rain that sprinkled down over them caused James to laugh out loud…

"Teleportation?" He shouted, "Fox you've progressed more than I'd ever hoped. What is this? Sauria?"

Fox nodded as his eyes seemed to return to normal where he looked to the skies, "Look," He said, "soon enough my friends will completely destroy that base of yours. I know you're using a special type of relay signal to synchronize all of your ships. Once Krystal finishes what they're all there for, your forces will all fall like flies. It's over…without you there. It's all over," He sighed revealing that his injuries no longer seemed to exist, "now…all I have to do is restore my father's name. If you die now, nobody will ever have to know this was your doing. Everyone'll sleep better…especially me. This planet is very special to me, I met the love of my life here. Seems only fair enough, perfect place for you to rest."

James sighed, the small flashes in the night sky were only just visible however suddenly a tremendous flash of light caused the old vulpine to shake his head, "It looks like you've won the battle son. However, you're standing in my way. That's not a good place to be."

Fox shook his head as he slid his dominant foot behind him while stepping into a familiar stance that James himself had used himself many times, "I'm not in your way. I'm your choice, because your only path no matter where you go from here…" The young fox steeled himself, "…is through me."

"The Jho-ken?" James chuckled imitating Fox's stance, "I perfected this fighting style if you don't recall."

Fox nodded, "And then I made some changes."

James sighed, nobody had improved on the fighting style since it's origins more than a thousand years back. To think that Fox might have done so was complete blasphemy; yet this did not stop Fox from unexpectedly rushing in on the older vulpine. Without sudden warning of any kind, James launched a kick that could have rivaled anything Fox had ever thrown. In that instant however, the heel of Fox's boot came down on top of James's toes, pinning his foot painfully to the ground. As James cried out in pain Fox lurched forward while still keeping his father's foot pinned, he strike the end of James's nose with the point of his forehead, before stepping off of the foot and bringing both fists to the center of his father's chest. James toppled to his back before rolling onto all fours and back to his feet where he stood in shock. Fox slowly stepped back into his stance with one arm crossed over his chest while the other crossed his waist, whatever stance this was it was half of one, and half of another. He was clearly using Jho-ken but, combining it with another style that James was not familiar with. At least until he realized where he'd seen them both before…

"Can't believe I didn't see that sooner…" He chuckled wiping the blood from his lip on his forearm, "…your mother used to use that stance. Half Cerinian, half Jho-ken."

"Krystal taught me a lot of things," Fox replied, "mainly about why I actually took over your seat on Star Fox. I thought it was to make you proud but, I realized some time ago that it was actually to protect everyone. Protect them from people like you."

James laughed, "You sound just like your grandfather you know. He was the same way; unfortunately all it ever got for him was an early deathbed."

"That's not why we do this!" Fox yelled, "if you didn't understand it why the fuck would you do it in the first place? I've never expected one ounce of satisfaction from what I've been doing these last twenty-eight years. I have next to no money, no place to live anymore. I do this for the same reason Grandpa did…because he thought everyone should be able to walk out their front door in the morning without worrying about ending up dead."

Fox's attention was suddenly turned to a familiar knife thrown to his feet, "Then why not do this like Vipers to the bitter end?" James asked, "no conections between father and son, just you, me, and the blades."

Fox slowly picked up the knife at his feet, "One life for billions…" He sighed, "…fair enough."

"Fair indeed." James replied.

With that said the two made a dash for one another, their small blade colliding in mid stride. Each strike seemed to meet with the other's weapon, striking back and fourth neither seemed to notice the insane speed at which their blades moved. The infinite number of tiny cuts along each other's arms and chests. It wasn't until an unexpected spinning kick caused James to retaliate by blocking with his knife that Fox backed away. The blade had pierced the top of his foot, and now lay buried, it's protruding point from the sole of his foot keeping him from stepping down on the foot. James rushed in again only to be pushed back by a swiping kick that lay a large gash into his chest. No words seemed to be wasted this time, James simply made another rush at Fox this time anticipating and ducking beneath the bladed kick that glided over his head, stripping the other knife from Fox's hand as he came within striking distance. Three punches struck Fox across his thick chest before a fourth came in at his neck, James looked on in astonishment as the blade of his knife met only Fox's palm which closed tightly against the blade. Instead of wasting time like most would have, James simply pulled the knife back along Fox's palm spinning in place as he did so…

James's pivot was only met by Fox's own; however, as Fox spun on his good foot he reached to the knife still impaling his other. Upon finishing his own spin Fox rent the knife back out of his foot thrusting it forward only to meet the very same motion from his father. The two simply looked on in stunned silence before Fox finally fell to his back, the rain and mud washing away the blood as James looked to the knife lodged in his only son's gut. A flow of blood from the older Fox's lip caused him to look to his own injury. Fox's thrust had been far higher piercing the center of the old fox's chest. The adrenalin finally rushing form his body, James gasped for air as his body collapsed to it's knees, taking note that Fox's chest still rose and fell with labored breaths a slight smile stretched across the older vulpine's face…

"Ne-nev-never been…." He gasped as he fell to his own back, "…so….p-proud…"

* * *

Hours in total darkness was eventually broken by the light of day on his face. Fox's eyes slowly opened allowing him to look across as the body of his father lying in the mud. A short glance around him brought his attention to a familiar blue vixen running frantically toward him from a still active ship. She slid on her knees in the mud to his side as she approached him finding a dreadful relief as he managed to brush the hair from her eyes…

"Your hair looks great when it's wet." He smiled, "how are things going up there?"

Krystal smiled, "You wouldn't believe it," She replied, "Jeff made some calls and brought in an entire carrier fleet from the human Armada. It's over…we won," She said helping Fox to his feet, "what about him?" She asked looking to James.

Fox shook his head, "No idea. My father died over twenty years ago. Let's just go home…cuz I think I could use a hospital…and a shower."

* * *

Back aboard the ship, the four human Kyzers stood by looking back and fourth amongst each other before a young white mink approached Randy's old armor. From everything that had happened, her left arm lay in a sling across her chest, her right eye was swollen and purple. She'd gotten beaten up pretty badly when a her ship had been hit during the last stages of the dogfight between Omni and the combined alliance forces…

"I don't know who's in there…but…" She sighed, "…thank you," She said looking to the others, "I guess you're all going back now huh?"

The mask of one of the suits jutted upward revealing Jeff's face, "Yeah, old friend back home pulled some strings and got us pardoned for breaking about two thousand laws but…he got most of us our old jobs back."

Mika sighed heavily, "I'm sorry about Randy. He was a dick, but, he was a good guy. Didn't deserve to die like that…I don't care what he did in the past."

"Hey!" The sudden voice from Randy's armor caught her off guard as the mask slid away to reveal the supposedly dead man's face, "I am not a dick."

Jeff sighed, "I thought you didn't wanna say anything until you left."

"Well I can't just ignore that."

Mika looked to the two of them, "What the fuck?"

Jeff shook his head, "He died for a little while. Not sure how but, after you all left his heart started back up and he was up walking around again. He was a little more confused than usual but, that goes without saying."

"Then after all that talk and shit you were just gonna leave without saying anything?" The mink asked.

Randy signed as he knelt down in the large armored suit, "Listen, you're a good person Mika, but, being caught up in someone like me is just a bad idea. The Human Alliance want's my head on a spit and they're not gonna rest until they have it."

Jeff shrugged his shoulder, "Lot harder to hunt you down here though," He pointed out, "think about it. With all you did to help here I'm sure they'd grant amnesty. You could open that Dojo you were always talking about, start giving something back for a change."

Alex gave Mika a slight mock salute as he turned toward the launch area, "Well I gotta get to the Intrepid. Captain Max wants to go over some things with me. Can't keep him waiting now that he's got my job by the balls again…" He chuckled, "…it was nice knowing you kid."

Nick nodded in time, "I gotta go too…" He sighed, "…apparently there are a lot of people on that ship slacking off on the computer systems. Later."

Mika chuckled, "What about you?" She asked looking to Jeff and Randy.

Jeff sighed, "I had a medical practice before I turned to this sort of work. I think I'll go back to that do some more research on some of Jay's older ideas."

Randy's armor gave of an empty hiss as the man seemed to effortlessly step down from the back of it, "Take it with you," He said to Jeff, "I think it's about time I stopped running."

* * *

Silver woke in the sick bay only to find a pair of pink arms wrapped tightly around his neck, and his face buried between a pair of fleshy white mounds. There was something different about everything, he felt completely different than usual. His heart burned when she touched him…

"Wha-what happen?" He asked, "where is Eve?"

Roxy pulled away from her young lover placing a hand against the tip of his muzzle, "Shhhh. Eve is fine, some doctors are busy doing the same thing to her than they just finished on you. The humans helped take out everything that Omni put into both of you…"

Everything seemed to work out, even though the process of repairing all the damages wrought at the hands of Omni Corp. it was clear that the Trinity Accord would be much better off. The reign of peace would come to be known as the longest the Lylat System had ever seen and it would carry all the people of even the human race to a new age of prosperity…


	25. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Life carries on long after these conflicts pass; and for Fox and all his friends nothing could have been different. Fox himself found time to retire permanently, he managed to eventually live out his dream of becoming a writer and has currently written two novels based on the Cerinian legends told to him by Krystal, as well as his personal autobiography. Within the first few months of being considered well enough to walk under his own power again, Fox and Krystal were married. Their honeymoon went on record as one of the longest known in popular society as they remained on Planet Sauria for three months in order to keep to themselves for a time. Lylat Face Magazine has recently voted them among the Accord's most popular and handsome couples…

Vixey Reignard became the proud grandmother of Fox and Krystal's twins; Marcus and Skye and has agreed to spend the remainder of her life catching up with her family. One which is larger than ever now thanks to Fox and Krystal's apparent decision to adopt Roxy, Silver, and Eve into their home. It is popular theory that the McCloud home is never without joy and laughter…it is mostly fact…

Creed and Jane of course married; and were shortly blessed with one of Corneria's only recorded cases of Octuplets. Of course to Creed's great displeasure all females. Jane has recently given up any claim she once possessed of the Marx heritage of the black market and was among a very private list of those to attend her father's funeral. Creed has since begun teaching his eight little girls to play Powerball, hoping to one day begin a team of his own. Jane is convinced that the idea will eventually bite him on the ass, as she has often done herself.

The young human swordsman was, through years of trial, granted amnesty for his past deeds in human society and was eventually granted sanctuary and citizenship as Lylat's first human resident. Though his relationship with Mika is strictly unknown, the two keep up a small fighting academy in downtown Corneria city which is attended by more than two hundred thousand students a year. It is currently one of the most accredited academies in Lylat and is considered a perquisite in most Special Ops cadets in the Flight Academy.

After an extensive search, Sia, the wild canine, was reunited with her next of kin. Though it took some time and hard work, she is now fully integrated into modern society and often spends time with the Cerinian people whom were granted a small settlement as per their wishes outside of city limits. Lia, Creed's kid sister, now spends most of her time helping the Cerinians, and has even found a mate with one of them. Creed frequently voices his disagreement but, can find no real faults in the boy. Julius has since promised to keep an eye on the two of them, and has himself found new meaning, and a new mate amongst the Cerinian survivors.

Vanity Rose eventually became the most popular of all the generals to run the Lylatian Council, and eventually even managed to strike a treaty with the human alliance. Wolf O'donnell was even given a seat on the council because of his work with the Lylatian military and for his irreplaceable knowledge of criminal behavior.

Fox McCloud still wonders day by day about the strange entity that had invaded his body. Despite his constant efforts to uncover anything like it, no other record of such a thing seems to be in any database. He still is in search of any information on anyone named Adreus, but, all efforts continue to be fruitless. The search was eventually turned over to Slippy Toad once he returned to the Lylat system, Falco Lombardi and Katt Monroe did not return with him, but, have since been spotted in Dan'jas, living a happy married life. They have yet to visit their old friend in the Lylat system, but, often send their regards…

_**Fin…**_

* * *

_**AN:** Wow, sorry that took so long all. I managed to get a bit of free time to punch out the rest of that last chapter and the epilogue. Hope you all enjoyed the last bit of this fic. It was a great fun writing it, and even more so reading all your reviews ^^ here's to next time everyone._

_The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox  
_


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